A Chain of Tales
by Damian
Summary: Sequel to The Rose of a Beast. Diana Gilld is growing up quickly and losing her faith in fairy tales. Then a stranger appears from the water, her cousin is nearly killed and she falls head over heels in love. COMPLETE!
1. An Oft Told Tale

**_A Chain of Tales_**

_**or**_

**_A Tail of Chains_**

_**By Levana (Damian)**_

A Sequel to _The Rose of a Beast_. The eldest daughter of Joshua and Elizabeth Gilld has grown up and has decided that life is no fairy tale. But when her cousin Rose comes to visit and is lost at sea on the journey, Diana finds her life swept upside down as she joins in searching for the lost princess. Rose is finally found and claims to have been rescued by a strange man with eyes like the stormy sky and a voice like an angel. Rose joins them at Gilld Hall and life begins its return to normal until the King comes to visit and any number of intriguing gentlemen begin to arrive. Cupids' arrows fly fast and furious and it is only when Diana realizes where her heart truly belongs that she becomes aware she is going to lose him forever. And then the real fun begins.

A/N – This story is dedicated to Soofija and Shortstef, who have been the most loyal of fans and the most wonderful of reviewers. The rest of you can all aspire to reach that level, okay?

_**Chapter One**_

"'Beauty,' he said, as she stared at him with surprise and fear in her eyes. 'It's me.' She looked closer at the strange man, meeting the gaze of his clear blue eyes. She recognized them; they were the eyes of her dear beast. Her heart leapt within her chest.

"'It is you,' she replied and flung herself into his arms. He spun her around and she clung to him, deliriously happy. And then they kissed-"

"Yuck!" The reader stopped in the middle of her sentence and glared down at her uncooperative audience.

"Do you want me to finish the story?" she asked sternly. The seven year old boy who had just shown his disdain for romance nodded mutely.

"Please finish," added another voice, this one from a six year old girl who was seated quietly on the floor at the reader's feet.

"Very well," she acquiesced. "They kissed and, magically, the entire castle transformed from a dark, frightening place to a marvelous white palace. The many servants who had been under the terrible spell for ten years were changed back to their normal forms. The Prince was very glad to see them restored and he gave them each a hug in turn. And so the enchantress's spell was broken. The Prince and Beauty were married and, one year later, a baby girl was born to the happy couple. Their joy complete, they lived happily ever after. The End."

The three children at the reader's feet cheered. Even the baby, who was now three years old, appreciated hearing his sister tell stories. She was a wonderful weaver of tales, second only in prowess to their mother.

"Diana?" said the little girl, whose name was Abigail.

"Yes, Gail?" Diana replied, ruffling her little sister's hair tenderly.

"What was the baby's name?" Diana paused; she had never actually wondered that.

"Yeah!" agreed the oldest boy, named Jonathan after an uncle who had died many years before. The baby, Anthony, didn't really care one way or another, he was quite content to just sit in his sister's lap and let her weave the spell of words over him.

"Good question," said Diana. "Shall we go and ask Mama what it is?" Everyone was amenable to this plan, so the entire cavalcade left the nursery to search for their mother, followed by a drove of disapproving nurses. Unsurprisingly,Mama was sitting in her favorite chair in the library, copying over a very old manuscript that seemed very close to falling apart all together.

"Mama! Mama!" they yelled as they flung themselves into the room. Their mother held up a staying hand and Diana suppressed a sigh as she tried to hold back her excited siblings.

"Is this how young ladies and gentlemen behave?" their mother asked, smiling as she looked up at them.

"We have a very important question for you," said Jonathan solemnly.

"And what would that be?" she enquired in reply, setting down the paper and inkwell she was using and rising to greet her children.

"What was the name of Beauty's baby?" said Abigail, gazing up at her mother. Lizzie smiled and lifted her daughter into her arms.

"Her name was Rose," she said simply.

Diana nearly snorted with exasperation. Lizzie noticed her eldest's reaction and put Abigail down with a kiss on her brow.

"You've had your answer," she told her children with mock severity. "Now back to the nursery with you."

"But Diana promised us another story!" Jonathan protested.

"If you behave yourselves, I'll come up in fifteen minutes and tell you a story, all right?" That plan suited them perfectly and they disappeared as loudly as they had arrived, herded out by the nurses and governesses who had followed them down.

"You spoil them," Diana told her mother.

"As do you," Lizzie replied lightheartedly. "You were the one who went up there to tell fairy tales when you should have been studying." Diana groaned; she had hoped that wouldn't have come up.

"Yes, all right. But Papa wasn't ready to test me on what I had learned and my tutors were finished for the day."

"If your father's schedule could be arranged to fit his needs, I assure you, he would have been ready."

"That isn't the point, Mama, he promised."

"Have you ever tried running a Duchy?"

"No, have you?" Diana shot back.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have." Lizzie smirked at her daughter, the unspoken 'So there' easily discernable in the smile.

"I suppose that explains why Papa is in charge then."

"Watch your tongue, girl, you may offend someone one day." The reproof was not meant harshly, nor was it taken that way.

"I am only practicing for when I am to wed," Diana answered innocently. "Didn't you tell me that Papa's first words to you were that he was glad he lived in England, that way divorce was an option if he ever married a shrew like you."

"Those were not his first words," Lizzie said, chuckling softly. "Although he did say them the first night we had met."

"How romantic," Diana scoffed.

"The romantic part had come earlier, when he rescued me."

"From what?" Diana asked excitedly; she had never heard this part of the story before.

"From walking," Lizzie answered, tweaking her daughter's nose affectionately. Diana rolled her eyes.

"Mama," she whined.

"Now help me put this away," Lizzie requested, "Since I am to go up and tell fairy tales for the rest of the afternoon." Diana acquiesced and took the inkwell, carefully affixing the top back on.

"I don't see why you chose to name the girl Rose," Diana said, apropos of nothing.

"As opposed to Diana, for example?" Lizzie retorted.

"I'm not four anymore," Diana muttered, "I don't feel the need to figure in these stories. Besides, Papa was never a beast." With great forbearance, Lizzie managed not to comment.

"I said that her name was Rose because that is what Beauty and her Beast chose to name her."

"Beauty and the Beast is a fairy tale," Diana scoffed. "You chose to name her Rose because it fits so well with the rest of the story."

"Did I now?" Lizzie asked, amused at her daughter's reaction. "How do you know that this fairy tale didn't happen?" She smiled at her daughter. "Perhaps, like so many others in this world, you don't believe in magic?"

Diana glared at her mother. "If I didn't believe in magic, I wouldn't be standing around here, waiting for my father so that he can test me on my spell casting skills, would I?"

"So why is it so hard for you to believe that fairy tales may have actually happened?"

Diana just shook her head. It was a silly conversation anyway; her mother was just in one of her moods where she would contradict everything that her daughter said, regardless of how much sense it made. Fairy tales couldn't be real, that was why they were such good stories.

"And I suppose you'll be telling me that Cousin Rose is the girl in the fairy tale and that her parents were Beauty and the Beast."

"I don't see why not," Lizzie answered mildly, in a tone calculated to uproot that suspicion from her daughter's mind far better than a blatant denial would have worked.

Diana rolled her eyes. "I will never understand you, Mama."

Lizzie laughed. "It's part of my charm," she replied. "I'm going up now, will you accompany me?"

"I wouldn't miss it for anything," Diana responded, just as eager to hear her mother spin tales as the little ones were.

They returned to the nursery and were immediately accosted by the little ones, anxious to hear what their mother had to say.

"Settle down, settle down," said Lizzie idly as she sat down in one of the rocking chairs and Anthony crawled into her lap, snuggling up to her. "Now, what story shall I tell?"

It was impossible to hear one particular request of the ensuing shouts. Diana laughed at her excited siblings and helped her mother quiet them down.

"Didn't you say that you had heard a new story," Diana said, rubbing her cheek thoughtfully.

Lizzie smiled. "Well remembered, Diana. Indeed, I do have a new tale for you… if you'd care to hear it?"

"Yes!" all four children shouted at once, Diana as enraptured as the rest.

"Very well." Lizzie leaned back and fixed them all with a deep, blue eyed gaze. "I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue. At sea, when yougaze through the starboard keyhole, with a little luck, Madame Mermaid herself will be waiting for you in thosemysterious fathoms below. In the land under the sea where Tritan is king and his merpeople sing, there lived a young mermaid. She was a princess, the youngest daughter of the king and she had just turned sixteen."

Diana groaned softly. "Shh!" Abigail said fiercely. Lizzie met her daughter's skeptical glare with a secretive smile. Diana shook her head; it figures her mother would choose sixteen; her birthday was but two weeks away.

"There was a custom in the king's house that, when a mermaid turned sixteen, she could go up and explore the world above the waves. So that's exactly what she did."

"What was her name?" Jonathan asked.

Please don't let it be my name, Diana thought. Please don't let her do that to me.

"Her name was Loreli," Lizzie answered, smiling at her son. Diana sighed with relief. "So she swam off to the surface for her first taste of the land of humans-"

"Diana?" called a voice up the stairs.

"Shh!" Anthony said as loudly as he could. "I want story!"

Joshua poked his head around the doorframe. "Sorry to be the unwanted visitor, but your sister and I have a lesson, do we not?"

Diana rose to her feet and left the room, none too pleased that her father chose this time in particular to be free.

"Was I interrupting something?" he asked innocently as they descended the stairwell together.

"Just a new fairy tale," she answered, smiling ruefully at her dad.

"The one about the mermaid who falls in love with a hu-"

"Stop!" Diana protested. "You'll ruin the ending!" She paused. "Wait a minute, Papa, how do _you_ know it?"

"Because I hear all the stories before any of you," Joshua answered with a smile. "Do you think your mother just pulls them from the air, fully told?"

"Well-"

"Speaking of pulling things out of the air," he interrupted, "I believe you were working on a spell to summon objects over a great distance, were you not?"

"Yes," she said with a sigh, "I was. What would you like me to summon?"

"If I was in the mood to save your uncle some money, I would say your cousin," her father replied, "But I'm not a nice person, so let's start with something nearer."

This was her father's typical way of imparting news, so Diana's exclamation of shock was merely at the content of her father's message and not at his mode of delivery.

"Rose is coming?" she asked excitedly.

"She is indeed," Joshua replied. "She left yesterday and should be arriving here within two weeks, assuming the winds don't behave too badly."

"Can you do anything about that?" Diana asked.

"You tell me." Joshua grinned and met his daughter's exasperated stare. "I'm waiting."

"Affecting the weather when one isn't present at the site where one would like the area to be affected is a dangerous procedure and should only be used when there is absolutely no other alternative," she quoted in a dry, dull voice.

"Well done," said Joshua in the same exact tone. "Now what would you like to summon?"

With an irritated glare, Diana pulled her attention away from her cousin's impending visit to the rather difficult tasks her father had set for her. It was well worth the effort for, at the end, she was praised highly for her efforts and her father was not one to give approbation without merit. She left the room, hoping that her mother would not be disinclined to continue the story of the mermaid for her alone.

Joshua watched her go. "So much potential," he said softly, rubbing the stubble that was growing on his chin with, to his dismay, far more gray in it than it had a few years previously. "And yet, I wonder if I'm out of my mind to teach that child magic."

"You were out of your mind long before you began attempting to teach Mademoiselle Stubborn anything," Lizzie said, slipping into the room. "How are you?"

"Tired," Joshua answered. "Very tired…don't even say it, woman, I know exactly what you're thinking."

"It's true."

"Well, I suppose I could get more sleep tonight and forgo what kept us up last night." He raised an eyebrow and Lizzie hit him lightly on the arm.

"Don't be absurd," she said as he wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her hair. "We have six years to catch up on, remember?"

"All too well," Joshua replied. They lapsed into silence. Lizzie was still amazed at Joshua, that he had stayed with her for those long years and helped her fight her inner demons before they had been able to make love. He had been the nicest, kindest, most wonderful man she had ever met and while she would never understand what drove that man, she was grateful beyond belief that he never gave up on her, even when she had given up on herself.

"Enough of this," Lizzie said, interrupting her own serious thoughts as well as whatever her husband was thinking about. "We should go and talk to the servants. If Rose will be here in two weeks…" she trailed off.

"I know. I am not looking forward to the next few months." They shared a wry grin and left the room, arm in arm.

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – Guess who's back? Yep! It's me again. So, after some serious deliberation as to what the heck to do as a sequel, this made an appearance. I decided that the tale as old as time can only repeat so many times before something new has to happen. So, while this is in the Beauty and the Beast category, the plotline will be following some odd combination of Disney and Hans Christian Anderson's _The Little Mermaid_. Along with some other bizarre twists, including a bit of role reversal.And while Diana is the main character, I doubt that Joshua will let go of the spotlight for all too long so he and Lizzie should appear often. Oh, very important warning. I'll be good for a few weeks, as far as updating goes, but on July 1st, I start work at a summer job with very little internet access so, cruel though this may be, I might leave you hanging for two months without an update. But until then, I shall try to be consistent. All right? (And if you said no..?)

On the Little Mermaid note, I'm still not satisfied with the way Lizzie begins her story, even though I feel like I have to use words that are similar to those in the song at the beginning. All suggestions cheerfully accepted.

So, I must admit that I do owe a few thank yous from the last chapter of Rose of a Beast. I'm also kinda assuming that if you're reading this, you've read the prequel, otherwise this will make no sense. Plus, you'll have no idea who I'm thanking!

Soofija – Well, when I said all good things had to come to an end, I didn't really mean ALL of them. So, as a special present, here's a nice, I don't doubt long sequel. And I'm glad I've finally won some converts to the "Let Diana Live" club. And, as far as Joshua's concerned, she's his daughter and he makes very few distinctions, when he can. Sixteen years can do that to a man. So have fun and don't stop reviewing – it makes me way too happy and is decent incentive for me to get things done.

Shortstef – I'll try to provide chocolate with the next round. And, yes, we hate the brat, I know. But thanks for your approval, it really means a lot (even though you were casting the death vote). And the fact that she looks like her mother really helps Joshua a lot. I'm glad you liked it and I only hope this one turns out to be just as good.

Anarea Rose – You are observant. Here's the sequel, as predicted. Don't worry, I can't believe I finally finished that either. Glad you liked it.

Well, that's all for now and I hope to hear from you all soon, since you love me so much :stares with large puppy dog eyes:

Love always,

Levana (Damian)


	2. Found and Lost

_**Chapter 2**_

It was a marvelous spring day, one of the few where rain wasn't threatening at every moment. The sun watched from his perch high in the sky as two people raced across the gardens at Gilld Hall. In front was a small boy who barely came up to his father's knee, with dark brown curls and bright green eyes. Behind him was said father, dressed in a linen shirt and dark pants, the former of which he hoped wouldn't be covered in grass stains before this day was over.

"Anthony," Joshua called ahead to his son. "Slow down, I can't keep up!" That was, of course, a blatant lie, but the little boy was having the time of his life being chased by his Papa, so Joshua saw no reason to ruin it.

"No!" Anthony shouted in reply, continuing his unsteady way over the lawns. Joshua sighed and, with a muttered apology to whoever would be cleaning his shirt, he dove forward, tackling the little boy. Anthony shrieked in glee as his father pulled him to the ground and started tickling him mercilessly. They ended up in a tired mess on the grass, with Anthony sitting on his father's chest and grinning down at Joshua as if he thought his father was the greatest person in the world, which he did.

Diana, who had been sitting under a tree and reading, turned around to see who was screaming and why. She hid a grin as her father rose to his feet, Anthony in his arms. The little boy caught sight of her and began waving furiously, calling out "Anna", which was his special name for her.

"Shall we go and visit your sister?" Joshua asked the squirming toddler in his arms. Anthony answered with an emphatic yes, so Joshua set him down and let the little boy run forward to greet his sister.

"Hello," Diana said, accepting the hug from her sibling with as much grace as she could muster without dirtying her own dress. "How are you today?"

"Messy!" he answered happily.

"I noticed," was Diana's reply. She turned to look up at her father. "Mama is not going to be pleased," she told him.

"I suspect I am going to receive another tongue lashing from his nurse before your mother gets her hands on me," he replied mildly.

"You set yourself up for them," Diana chided, knowing it was fruitless to try and tell her father anything. "And then act all surprised and innocent when they come."

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," he replied, winking at her before sitting down next to her. "What are you reading?"

"Mama lent it to me," she answered. "It's a book by The Brothers Grimm." Diana was delighted to see her father's jaw drop at hearing those words, for it was extremely difficult to surprise him and even harder to get him to admit to being shocked.

"She _lent_ that to you?" Joshua repeated.

"Well, her exact words were more like 'It's your birthday in a week and you know all the stories in here already, so you might as well read them in the original', but yes."

"Dear Lord, miracles really do happen," Joshua breathed. "But she didn't give you the other book, did she?"

"What other book?" Diana asked suspiciously.

"Good," Joshua said, more to himself than his daughter, "Otherwise I would have started planning for the apocalypse."

"Have you noticed that you tend to speak in heresy?" Diana muttered.

"It adds spice to daily conversation," was her father's adroit answer. "Which story are you up to?"

"Little Briar Rose," she answered. "Only Mama always called it Sleeping Beauty."

Joshua smiled. "Yes, you did always like that one."

"It's different, though," Diana murmured thoughtfully. "The others that I've read as well; Mama tells them differently than they were written."

"Fairy tales were never meant to be written down," Joshua answered, drawn into a tug of war with his youngest son that involved the blanket they were sitting on. "They were meant to be spoken aloud and altered with every telling to give them new depth. They are real, Diana, far more real than you may imagine."

Diana snorted, but didn't reply; she had heard the same from her mother too. Sometimes she wondered how two extremely intelligent people like her parents could believe in such nonsense.

"Play with me!" Anthony demanded. Joshua, with a resigned sigh, got to his feet.

"If you hear yelling to shake the foundations of the earth itself," he said by way of goodbye to his daughter, "It means Mrs. Greene has found us." He followed his son to go and explore some of the cultivated wildernesses and, no doubt, to pretend that he was a lion, chasing the boy.

Diana smirked. Mrs. Greene lived in the nursery and had coddled, rebuked and loved them through childhood until they had left her domain. She had the greatest respect for both the Duke and the Duchess, but could never understand why they took part in such wild games with their children. Diana was glad they had. She remembered, from when she was younger, how much time her father had spent playing with her and teaching her, as if he had wanted to get to know her better. She had adored him when she was younger, following him around in much the same manner that Anthony did now. She still adored him now, but it was different. She sighed and turned back to the book, intent on finishing the tale, since Briar Rose had just pricked her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fallen asleep. Anxious to reach the part about a charming prince, she read on.

* * *

Lizzie stared out the window, watching the members of her family who were out enjoying the sunlight. She smiled ruefully, thinking of what would be said when her husband reentered his own home. He never acted more mature than whoever he was with; be it Diana or Anthony.

Taking the quill she had set down, Lizzie turned back to the letter she had been writing. She was tempted to go out and join them, but she knew it was a bad idea. Though she hid it well, she still limped slightly from the duel with Andrew, sixteen and a half years ago. And her leg was beginning to ache more than usual now.

"I fear I'm getting old," she said softly, rubbing it discreetly with her other foot. "Although I suppose I'm in good company." She took one last glance out the window towards her husband and then forced her attention back to the necessary correspondence before her.

A few minutes passed by before Lizzie was disturbed by an odd sound. There was a noise like a music box going off, playing a strange tune that Lizzie had never heard before. She rose to her feet and stretched her leg for a moment before going off in search. The room was not large and it didn't seem as if it would all that difficult to find the source of the music, but it eluded her. She managed to narrow it down to one corner of the room and then set about assiduously searching for what could possibly be creating the noise.

After going through half the contents of one drawer, Lizzie came up with a small ring that wasn't even large enough to fit over her pinkie. It had a gold band and was set with a sapphire that was currently flashing like the surface of the ocean on a sunny day. It was also, rather worryingly, the source of the music.

Lizzie held it carefully in hands and tried to hazard a guess what its purpose was and why she had never seen it before. She wracked her brains for a magical spell to use in this situation and, after coming up with a particularly appropriate memory that had belonged to her mother-in-law, she had an idea. Murmuring a silent thank-you to the woman who had gifted her with magic and who her eldest had been named after, Lizzie focused on the ring and let her mind drift.

It was cold, so very cold. The wind beat against her, tossing her to the ground as if she was but a rag doll. She bit her lip to keep from crying out and clutched desperately at the wood railing above her. There were people screaming all around her, shouting in fear and desperation to try and save themselves. The rain fell in torrents, drenching her over and over. A wave crashed through the rails, loosening her fingers and sending her flying over to the other edge of the deck. She crashed into a large wooden crate and sobbed at the pain. A wave of salty water washed over her and she started to cough, clutching the ropes around the chest to try and anchor herself.

"Mama, Mama!" called a frightened voice. It took Lizzie a moment to realize what was going on and then she snapped out of the vision. She opened her eyes and realized that she was sitting on the floor with her knees drawn up to her chest and her hands clutching the window drapes. Jonathan stood in front of her, worry written clearly on his features and his sea green eyes bright with worry.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, reaching out to touch her face. Lizzie drew him into a warm hug. He buried his face in her shoulder.

"Don't worry, little one," Lizzie said, patting his back soothingly. "It's okay, I'm fine. See?" She pulled back and let him take a good look to make sure that she was, indeed, alright.

"What happened?" he couldn't help but ask.

"It was just magic," Lizzie answered, something that few children would find soothing, but hers did. She added under her breath "Stupid magic that I should have known better than to march right into." She rose to her feet, Jonathan standing in front of her. "I need to talk to your father about this; do you want to come along?"

"Sure." They went outside and soon reached the tree where Diana had curled up, engrossed in the story of Little Red Cap.

"You changed the name to Little Red Riding Hood," said Diana without even having to look up as she heard her mother's slightly uneven gait approach, then paused in her reading. "What's that sound?"

Lizzie held up the ring and Diana took a look at it. "It's a magical device," she said, staring at it.

"I didn't know that!" Lizzie replied, "Silly me, not to have noticed. I thought all rings acted that way."

Diana rolled her eyes. "I take your point, Mama. What does it do?"

"Other than suddenly play irritating music, I haven't the faintest idea. But I can guess who in this house would know."

"Is that a hint for me to fetch him for you?" Diana asked, rising to her feet.

"That would be wonderful," said Lizzie, sitting down next to where her daughter had just been. "Take Jonathan with you and see if he can get himself as dirty as Anthony."

Jonathan grinned happily at that suggestion, but their plan was soon rearranged as a voice that was audible from at least a mile away shouted out "Anthony Morgan Gilld!" All three of them winced.

"On second thought," said Lizzie. "Go there and rescue your father before Mrs. Greene gets her hands on him. If she won't let him go, it's on my orders and about magic, all right?"

They nodded and went off as fast as they could, hoping that they would overhear their illustrious father being reprimanded by their old nurse.

Their wish was granted. They reached the trio of Anthony, Joshua and Mrs. Greene just in time to hear her lace into their father.

"And you!" she was shouting. "You do nothing but encourage them! If you weren't around, they would never go off and misbehave on their own. I try to teach them how to behave like civilized human beings when you come along and undo anything they might have gleaned and-"

Diana cleared her throat softly. Joshua turned around to face her and their eyes met for but a moment. "What is it?" he asked.

"My mother wishes to speak with you," she said softly, curtseying as she did so. "I believe it involves some sort of magical artifact."

"Then I'd best not keep her waiting," Joshua answered smoothly. "Jonathan, will you take your brother down to the garden, he wanted to see the roses." There was a tone in Joshua's voice that was very clear about the fact that it would brook no argument.

"Shall I go as well?" Diana offered.

"I'd rather you come and see this artifact that has your mother so puzzled," Joshua answered. "Mrs. Greene, I'm sure we'll have a chance to finish talking soon. In the meantime-"

"Of course I'll watch over the boys," she said before Joshua could even finish his sentence. "That's my job, is it not?"

"Excellent," said Joshua. "Now, Diana, lead the way."

"You must have been terrible as a child," said Diana as soon as they were out of earshot, "So manipulative and demanding."

"Actually," Joshua replied, ruffling his daughter's hair tenderly, "I was a very well behaved child. I'm now trying to make up for a very mature childhood with a very immature adult life."

"And you're doing a wonderful job," Lizzie called out from up ahead of them.

"Thank you," he said, bowing. "Now what's this strange artifact you were talking… about…" He trailed off, hearing the sound of the ring.

Lizzie held it up and Joshua's entire facial expression changed. Diana watched, fascinated, as her father's eyes grew wide and his eyebrows nearly rose up into his disheveled hair.

"Dare I ask what this is and why it's making that noise?" Lizzie queried, eyeing her husband worriedly.

Joshua shook his head for a moment, then strode forward and laid his hand on the ring. Lizzie let go of it, pushing it into his hand.

"You can probe that thing this time," she said to him, "I am not going near it again."

"What happened?" Joshua asked, his voice strained.

Diana listened with interest as Lizzie explained what she had felt and how Jonathan had found her. Joshua's expression didn't change as he heard her out, his face was as unreadable as a mask. "Well?" Lizzie asked, as she as she finished.

"God Damn it!" Joshua swore, making Diana jump and Lizzie glare at him. "This ring belonged to Rose when she was much younger. I took it after she grew out of it and kept it in case I ever needed to keep my eye on her. It makes that noise when she's in danger."

"What sort of danger?" Diana asked, but Lizzie didn't even pay attention.

"So how do we rescue her?" she said, taking a few deep breaths to stay calm. Her face was frightened. "Joshua, what do we do?"

"We don't have time to get there," Joshua said. He and Lizzie caught one another's eyes. "We have to get upstairs immediately."

"Come, Diana," Lizzie said, starting off back to the castle at a fast pace that Diana knew her mother would regret later. Surprisingly, her father was right by Lizzie's side. She followed them, the words that they had spoken beginning to come together. From her mother's description, Rose must have been on a ship and if she was in danger… Her parents would do all they could, but magic over such a distance required some sort of scrying and that meant they were going to her father's workroom. Diana shut her eyes, then gathered up her skirts and ran after her parents, determined to help as best as she could to save her cousin.

_**T.B.C**_

A/N – Okay, okay, not a nice ending, is it? I'll work on a better one for the next chapter, okay? In the meantime, Rose should be playing a much bigger role in this story, which is, by the way, my only justification for not following TrudiRose's advice (move this story to Fairy Tale section). Your point is well taken and I did actually consider not posting it here, but I can be rather vain sometimes and people know me much better here. Also, the main plot of this story does revolve around Rose, Belle's daughter, about as much as it does around Diana, at least for the first two thirds, so I don't feel so guilty. However, thank you for suggesting it and, if I find myself still addicted to these characters at the end of this story, any more sequels will undoubtedly be in Fairy Tales (unless I can think of a very good excuse not to put them there)

Also, quick quiz for you people. Out of curiosity, does anyone recognize where Anthony's name is from? If you do, and leave me a note in a review, I will dedicate the chapter to you.

Now, onto the reviewers, of whom there were quite a lot this time. :grins: Oh, this is nice. I like when this happens. In order of reviews…

Shortstef – Yeah, I realized I was rather attached to them as well. Glad you like it so far (one chapter wonder that I am) and I hope it continues to meet expectations. Poor Diana, stuck with those two as parents. As promised, Joshua will be in the next review to you with a kiss, minus signs of age, okay?

Kate – I don't think you left a note by the epilogue, but if you did, I'm very sorry and I'll sneak you in somewhere, possibly when I go back and add the disclaimer (oops. Not that you can't tell what's mine and what's Disney's). I'm pleased you liked the little mermaid reference; it was a lot harder to work in than the beginning of Beauty and the Beast. The new character's should clear up, it's just four children can be hard to keep track of (especially considering who their parents are). And I'm happy to have astonished you with my semi-pretentious language usage, I actually can't help it sometimes.

Kristin – Aww, thank you! I'm glad you really liked it and, if anyone ever offers me to make it into a movie, I'll give you a call (unless the actor they get to play Joshua is really good looking, in which case _I_ play the heroine). Anyway, thank you for the compliments, they are much appreciated and will be put to good use swelling my already inflated ego. :winks:

TrudiRose – I know, I know, I commented on this already. Just a quick thanks for helpful reviews and being really nice about it (I have to be nice in reply, I'm not actually listening to you). It's actually really nice when people know the difference between good advice and flaming, so just thanks for that.

Soofija – They are addictive, there's nothing I can do about it. It's kinda like caffeine (ie – they both keep me up until three AM). No, Diana can't marry Joshua, it's incest no matter how you spin it. But I will find her a very nice man, even if he's slightly less wonderful than Joshua. I learned a lot from this story – it's a bad idea to fall in love with one's own creation…oops. I'm glad you liked the chapter and hopefully there will be more like it.

Anonymous – I'm happy you liked it. Don't worry, I have no plans to stop writing.

So, farewell all my friends, both old and new. Another chapter should be up soon and, until then, you can just keep these images of Joshua as a Daddy for solace.

Levana (Damian)


	3. One Ring to Rule Them All

_**Chapter 3**_

Joshua stalked into his workroom, closely followed by his wife and daughter. His eyes were dark with fear and his fists were clenched at his side. He really just needed the time to sit down and think, but time was, unfortunately, a luxury he could ill afford. It had been ten minutes since Lizzie had first heard the summons of the ring and the music had only been getting shriller since. That wasn't good; it meant that Rose was simply in more danger. His one consolation was that the sapphire hadn't stopped blinking yet and his niece was still breathing. He shut his eyes and tried to decide what to do.

"Diana," Lizzie said softly. "Get the mirror." Diana knew exactly what her mother was referring to and didn't need to be told twice. She hurried across the room to her father's enormous desk and yanked open the middle drawer. Underneath numerous magical artifacts, some of which she still didn't know the purpose of, she found a small mirror set in a platinum frame. There were roses twined about the handle and she couldn't help but wonder, as she always did, the history behind this particular mirror, for it was treated very carefully and well loved by both her parents.

Diana held the glass cautiously and carried it back to her mother, who was sitting on an ottoman next to the couch. Joshua was seated on the couch with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands cupping the ring. His eyes were shut and he was trembling like a leaf in a storm.

"Is he alright?" Diana choked out, panicking at seeing her father, who was ordinarily so composed, looking quite the opposite.

"It's just the magic," Lizzie said soothingly, patting her daughter's hand. "Sit down next to him in case he needs magical aid."

"But what about you-"

"Trust me," she answered. "And give me the mirror." Wordlessly, Diana handed it over. Lizzie nodded her thanks, then set the mirror down on her lap. "Show me my eldest niece, please," she said distinctly. Lizzie's reflection in the glass swirled around, creating a strange fog of colors before it coalesced into a completely different image. Diana gasped. The picture she saw displayed before her was one of a ship being thrown about on dangerously rough seas. Most of the sails had been lowered, but the few that could not be gotten down in time were in tatters. One of the masts had been broken and numerous peoples' things were strewn about the deck, soaking wet and ruined. Most of the passengers and crew were below-deck, but there were a few unlucky people who were trapped on top. Rose, for example.

"Mama, what do we do?" Diana asked, nearly screaming as she watched her cousin thrown from one side of the ship to the other. Lizzie didn't reply, her eyes were fixed on her husband, whose face was twisted in pain from the impact that his niece felt. She hated this method, but it was the only way. Lizzie reached up and squeezed Joshua's hand affectionately. He clutched at hers in return and she took a deep breath.

"Diana, take your father's other hand," she directed. Diana did as she was told, still trembling as she thought of the terrible fate her cousin was facing. She couldn't believe her mother was acting so calmly in the face of such danger. But she was glad nonetheless that Lizzie was so unshakeable.

Lizzie had none of that confidence in herself. She hated being in charge of magical rituals of significance for she knew that she was far less in control and levelheaded than her husband. But he had taken the ring and left her the job of seeing and directing his movements so she would have to rise to the occasion if she wanted to save her niece again. Swearing softly with words Diana would have a fit if she found out her mother knew, Lizzie began.

"Joshua, you need to find somewhere to stand," Lizzie said, staring at the frightening picture glimmering up from the surface of the glass. "About ten feet to your left, there is a huge crate that seems lashed down fairly well. Crawl to it." She felt his muscles spasm as his mind, melded with Rose's, forced the young girl to move. His breathing was already ragged and tired; he wouldn't last much longer on his own power.

"Mama," Diana said, forcing herself to be as steadily calm as Lizzie, "When should I step in?"

"In three minutes unless I tell you sooner," Lizzie answered automatically. "And don't hesitate to act if you need to." Those words made Diana shiver; she wasn't even sixteen yet and her mother was expecting her to remain responsible in the face of this?

"Joshua," Lizzie continued soothingly, addressing whatever manifestation of her husband was listening, "Stand up." She watched in the glass as Rose snatched at the ropes that bound the crate and used them to heave herself up into a perilous, upright position. She swayed with the waves, tears streaming down her cheeks that were echoed on Joshua's own. "Well done," Lizzie murmured. "Now brace yourself and face the wind." Joshua knew what to do on his own, but his mind was overwhelmed with fear and a desperate desire to survive, that he would never be able to remember it. It was already draining more of Lizzie's power than she wanted to waste simply to get through to him. Rose's body obeyed, turning out and clenching her hands around the rope until they bled as the storm tossed her back and forth, practically throwing her feet out from under her.

"Now, Joshua," Lizzie nearly shouted, forgetting that she wasn't on the ship with him, that she needn't shout above the roaring waves and the tilting ship to be heard. "Tell it to go away!"

She felt his hands tighten around her own so hard that she practically lost feeling in her fingers. Rose shouted words out to the wind, throwing all her uncle's power out towards the menacing force that strove to overturn their ship. Lizzie watched the ship poised on the crest of an enormously tall wave, waiting to see if Joshua would win. She wracked her mother-in-law's memory to try and judge the situation. Unfortunately, that was all too easy to do.

"God damn it!" Lizzie swore, not even bothering to try and keep her voice down or keep it appropriate. Diana nearly jumped, amazed that she still had the presence of mind to be shocked at her mother. "Diana, listen to me!" Lizzie's voice was tense with fear. "You need to be strong and feed your father as much of your power as you can."

"But-"

"Can you do it?" she repeated, staring at her daughter.

"I can do it," Diana said, moving her hands slightly so that she was actually touching the ring. And she fell into the maelstrom of terror that was her cousin's mind. It was horrifying, the waves, the storm, the insane tossing back and forth that boggled the senses and practically made her lose any cognition she had. She wondered how anyone could function in this way; all she could think of was not letting herself pitch forward into the angry waves.

Suddenly, through the terror induced haze, she heard her mother's voice. "Finish the spell!" But she couldn't finish it; she was terrified to actually do anything. "Come on, Diana, you can do it! I know you can! Say the last words of the spell." Shivering with anguish, she shouted the words her father had said moments before, but this time it was with her untouched power and not her father's drained magic. She flung the spell in the face of the screaming storm and told the mighty creature to calm down. It was the most wearying experience she had ever felt, flinging herself onto such fierceness. But she had to do it; she couldn't let go, not now.

Lizzie watched with pride as her niece beat back the storm, knowing full well that it was really her daughter who was producing the effect. The ship remained poised on the edge of the wave as the weather magic flowed out over the monster that threatened to take all the lives on the ocean. "Show me what is really happening," she whispered to the mirror. The scene didn't whirl and change, as was its wont, it merely grew clearer. Standing in the tempest was the figure of a king, a majestic figure with a wreath of clouds for a crown and windblown seaweed as his beard. His eyes were bright stars and his face was merely the magic itself, filled in. He was the menace behind the storm, the Lord over the oceans, King Tritan himself. Lizzie grit her teeth, telling her daughter to stand strong, for she knew that Diana had the power to last, even against the wrath of the ocean king.

Thunder boomed and the King spoke. Lizzie stared carefully at his lips, reading the words that would sound to all simply like the roll of drum like thunder. "Who are you that dare to flout my will?"

Lizzie shivered as she stared at that visage, for it struck a chord deep inside her.

"Leave!" Diana shouted, her voice ringing out in the workroom as well as by the sea. That wasn't a good sign; if her body was responding along with Rose's, it meant she was losing her control on her cousin.

"I know you from somewhere," murmured the king in a lower roll of thunder. Lizzie's stomach clenched at those words. "There are two other presences within you and I recognize them." Lizzie had to concentrate just not to drop the mirror. She prayed to God that her daughter not be able to hear the words, though she was quite a powerful mage and would undoubtedly remember the words somehow. "I don't like bowing to the will of humans, but the children of an old friend are an exception." The strange apparition smiled at them and Lizzie saw the first ray of sunlight peek through like the glimmer of a grin. "I shall see you two again. Now go!"

Diana screamed, for the last two words had been perfectly audible and, terrified of the voice, she pulled herself away from her cousin and back into her own body. Lizzie screamed at her to stop, but she refused to listen, crashing back into her own flesh. Joshua, who had far more control over his mind, attempted to stay and help Rose cling to her crate as the last wave crashed down onto the surface and flung the ship vertical. Lizzie knew that he didn't have the strength to fight for her and watched in horror as her niece's bloody grip loosened and she fell slowly from the deck into the teeming waves. Lizzie, not knowing what else to do, flung her hand out and grabbed the ring in her husband's hand. She felt herself become one with the girl, falling through the air and screaming as the water rushed up to meet her. Lizzie used the last of her magic to force Rose to take in as much air as she could, then hold her breath as long as was necessary. She sent out a magical cry for help and tried as best she could to keep her head above water, but there was no hope. Sobbing with pain, Lizzie pulled her hand away from Joshua's, taking the ring with it and sending the magical artifact halfway across the room.

Joshua's eyes flew open and stared into his wife's. Diana was sitting on the couch, breathing deeply and trying to relax. "Will she be alright?" Diana whispered, not having seen the agonizing last moments of the drama.

Joshua shut his eyes, biting his lip for a moment. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. He got shakily to his feet, trembling violently from his ordeal. He managed to walk halfway across the room and carefully pick up the ring before sinking to his knees from exhaustion.

"Papa!" Diana said, racing to his side. "Are you alright?" She paused for a moment. "What's wrong with Rose? What happened?"

Joshua held up the ring and watched the blue stone, waiting for it to flicker. Lizzie stayed where she was, unsure if her feet could support her.

"Why did it stop?" Diana asked in a small voice. Her parents ignored her. "Mama, Papa, what's going on? Why isn't Rose all right?"

"When you pulled away," Joshua said in a low, monotonous voice that hid the emotions deep within him, "She lost her grip on the crate and fell into the sea."

"No!" Diana yelled out involuntarily. "No!" Joshua hadn't meant for it to sound as if Diana had caused the calamity, but that was how she understood it. She buried her face in her hands. "Will she live?" she asked from between spread fingers.

"Lizzie?" Joshua said, turning to his wife.

"The mirror can't see underwater," Lizzie answered. "You know that."

"Then we just have this," he said, his voice cracking. "And it doesn't look good." Seeing the confusion overlaying his daughter's features, he didn't notice the guilt eating away at her. He explained his words. "The ring flashes every time she takes a breath." He didn't need to finish that statement, the darkness in the heart of the sapphire spoke volumes.

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – Well, this didn't go at all as planned. I'm rather surprised that I managed to fill up four pages with about ten minutes worth of action – that's ridiculous even by my standards. Hopefully there will be a bit of a resolution in the next chapter, but you know I love cliffhangers (it keeps me excited for the next chapter and I want to know what happens next… no, I'm not kidding). So, no one gets a chapter dedication, but this chapter is in honor of Shortstef, who actually googled the name Anthony Morgan and who was vain enough to ask for a dedication; something which I have a great respect for. The name is from series written by Katherine Kurtz; one of the main characters who I have a tiny crush on is named Alaric Anthony Morgan and I think the name Alaric is silly. So that's where the little boy gets his name from. He was not named after Andrew; I don't think Joshua has forgiven his father yet. So, here goes this thank you session.

Shortstef – You got your chapter dedication, sort of, are you happy now? And of course Lizzie would collect fairy tale anthologies and give them to her children when they were old enough to read them on their own. I'm glad you liked Joshua's quote, I had actually had a long conversation with an old teacher of mine about the various pros and cons of verbal transmission as opposed to writing things down, so this flowed all too well. I seriously doubt that heroes get any better than Joshua (now look who's being vain), but I'll do my best to get her someone very good. And something tells me you may see more of daddy mode, I like it too.

Kate – Happy to have cleared up the characters, though I understand what you meant. It is a little rough being introduced to a whole new slew of them all at once. Anyway, I'll try to keep the vocab up to par and not start to sound pendantic and pretentious, an occurrence which I eschew whenever possible. Er… you know what I mean. And don't apologize, Simpsons references are always appreciated.

Soofija – Fear not, as you can see from above, you won't need to come and kick my ass (that might leave me bedridden and unable to type and then where would we be? We'll, I'd be in bed…). I'll forgive you though, since you are on vacation and I had my last day of class today (ie – my year abroad is over and I'm a little worried as to where it went, since I didn't notice it going by). And I have every plan to keep writing, so don't worry. Soon, my pretties, soon.

Farewell all!

Levana (Damian)


	4. Strange Things Are Happening

_**Chapter 4**_

Diana turned away from her father, not wanting to believe what she had been told. Her cousin couldn't be dead; not Rose. She had too many memories of her older cousin, teaching her and playing with her and just being the older sister she never had. The thought of her dead was too awful to comprehend. "It's not fair," she breathed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's just not fair." Lizzie rose to her feet, forcing her already tired legs to hold her weight. She walked as swiftly as she could towards her daughter, dropping down when she reached her and drawing Diana into her embrace. Desperately grateful for the arms that surrounded her, Diana buried her face in her mother's shoulder and sobbed.

Joshua looked bleary-eyed up at his daughter, her cries shaking him out of his own melancholy. He shifted so that his hand could rest on Diana's back and he slowly rubbed it in circles.

"I'm sorry," Diana breathed, "Dear God, I'm so sorry!"

"It's not your fault," Lizzie said, divining her daughter's thoughts. "There was nothing else you could have done."

"But if I had stayed-" she protested.

"Than you would have done about as much good as I would have," Joshua said cutting her off. "Your mother is right; there is nothing you could have done that you didn't do."

"But-"

"Shhh," both her parents said at once and she contented herself with soaking her mother's shoulder with her tears.

Beneath the depths of the ocean, where the waves had finally begun to calm, a young merman by the name of Anduin was waiting. He hadn't exactly been planning to be there, but following his uncle had seemed a good idea at the time, since no one wanted him around. How was he to have known that such an action would have led him here? Realistically, he knew his uncle didn't want him around either, but he had no plans to let the older man know he was around. King Tritan had left the castle without a word about where he was going and why. Anduin, who was far too curious for his own good, decided to follow the man. He was careful and, luckily enough, no one else was stupid enough to follow the King of the Ocean anywhere. And so it was that he had been floating atop the waves when Tritan called up the storm.

At first, it had been great fun. Anduin knew that he was already twenty one and should no longer be amusing himself by riding dangerous waves, but he enjoyed it far too much and he didn't even need to cause the tempest this time. Then the waters had turned rough even by his standards and he began to wonder just what his uncle was playing at.

Anduin found a calmer spot and rose up to get a decent view of whatever was going on. His eyebrows quirked worriedly as he watched the ship get tossed about all over the waves. This was, among other things, a serious breach of the peace that had reigned for years between humans and merfolk. He knew full well that both races hated one another, but twenty or so years ago King Tritan had negotiated a sort of cease-fire between the ocean dwellers and one of the land dwellers who Anduin was named after. And now the King was breaking his oath and hiding that fact from his kin. Anduin stroked his stubble; this could be very interesting. And then something happened to change the situation from merely interesting to terrifying.

Anduin watched in shock as his uncle, Lord of all the Oceans, King of the Seas, was attacked by magic. He watched the man's eyes go wide and the magical manifestation tremble as the storm began to fade. No one had ever challenged the King before and it was both exhilarating and frightening to watch it happen.

"Who are you that dare flout my will?" shouted Tritan, fighting against the strange power that strove to dispel his own. Anduin couldn't hear the reply from the creature on the ship, though he tried his best to catch a glimpse of the figure. He was proud of the human that pit itself against his illustrious uncle, even though he thought such a person had to have been out of their mind.

His uncle suddenly stopped his desperate retaliations against the strange aggressor and began to laugh. That was, as far as Anduin was concerned, even more worrying. "I know you from somewhere," said the King, his mouth twisted in a dangerous grin. "There are two other presences within you and I recognize them. I don't like bowing to the will of humans, but the children of an old friend are an exception." He smiled in a way that bared his teeth. "I will see you again. Now go!" And Tritan immediately removed his enormous presence from the sky and stopped his own magical interference with the weather. The King dove back down, pleased with himself for both the trouble he caused and the interesting information that his allies children were alive. He never noticed the nephew that had followed him to the surface and was watching with wide eyes as the young girl who had challenged him fell from the deck of the vertical ship and into the water.

Anduin stared, seeing the young woman that seemed to fall so slowly into the sea. She hit the waves and immediately slipped below them, no longer visible from the top. It took Anduin about ten seconds to decide that all the rules about not going anywhere near humans and allowing fate to take its course could all go to She'ol. He dove down after her, hoping desperately that he would not get caught because flouting authority was one thing, but being punished for it was quite another.

Anduis slipped under the waves after the disappearing human girl, his eyes roving around as they tried to trace her path through the water. He saw the flutter of her skirts and swam as fast as he could after her. He had been told that humans could not breath in water and though he thought that was a stupid way to create someone, he hadn't been asked and was willing just to help her back to the surface. Anduin didn't like trying to analyze his own motives, he just went with the flow and tried to cause as must trouble as he possibly could without actually being rebuked for it.

She sunk lower and Anduin forced himself forward faster, wondering what exactly she was wearing that dragged her down like that.

He finally caught up to her and, afraid to let her sink further, grabbed the girl ignobly by her long, brown tresses. There was no response from her, but Anduin didn't bother about that now, he wrapped one arm around the slim waist and swam with all his might towards the surface.

His head broke the waves and hers soon followed. Utterly sick of fighting gravity to keep her up, Anduin took a sharp stone knife from around his waist and slit the dress, letting it fall down into the depths and not giving it a second glance.

She still wasn't breathing and Anduin glared at her. "Come on," he said, shaking her as they drifted atop the calm waves. "I didn't risk my neck just to have you die on me now! Come on!" He shook her again and her back accidentally smacked against a piece of driftwood.

"Sorry," he said, wincing. But, a moment later, he had no reason to regret his actions, for she began to cough up copious amounts of sea water. Anduin made a face and removed himself so that he was holding her up from behind and would not receive regurgitated sea water in his face.

Anduin dragged her off in whichever direction he figured land would be. She spent a few more minutes coughing up a river's worth of water before slipping back into unconscious lack of movement, but she was still breathing, so Anduin was satisfied with a job well done.

He slung her over his back and let her head rest against his own. Taking a deep breath, he set out on the long swim to shore. It was a grueling experience, both because Anduin was not used to carrying such heavy loads with him and also because he could not help but look back every so often to make sure his charge was still alive.

The sun was low in the blood red sky by the time Anduin reached his destination. Grimacing, for it was going to take ages to get all the sand out of his scales, he heaved himself up onto the shore and laid the girl down so that the waves barely washed up to her waist. And then Anduin received the shock of his life.

She was gorgeous, absolutely the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Her long, dark hair curled fetchingly around her face and her skin was pale without being pasty. Her face was smooth and flawless and Anduin gulped, wondering why fate was cruel enough to dump such a beautiful creature at his doorstep, so to speak, and then steal her away again. His eyes traveled lower, just in case her chest had stopped rising and falling. He hadn't meant to stare any longer than that, or so he told himself. She was wearing her shift and Anduin's eyes widened as he wondered just what was under all those layers of clothing. He had been under the impression that, from groin up, humans and merfolk were the same. So why did the humans hide under so many layers? And, more importantly, did he have the gall to find out?

Deciding that it was far too dangerous, since he didn't really want to have her awaken and he wasn't as unprincipled and amoral as he pretended to be, Anduin backed away and rearranged his fins beneath him so that he could sit next to her. Without even thinking about it, he reached out to brush a strand of hair off her face. She sighed in her sleep and Anduin decided, in that one moment, that he was in love with her. She was too perfect, too beautiful. And anyone who dared defy his uncle for the sake of the humans on the ship must also possess a good heart and a wonderful personality. She was brave, she was strong.

"What am I doing?" he asked himself, shaking his head and accidentally spraying her with the droplets of water that were on the ends of his reddish brown hair. "She's human, half dead and she's twenty thousand leagues out of reach. Besides, she'll probably scream if she saw me here." But Anduin knew it was fruitless. From now on, any girl he met would be held up to this paragon he had just found and he was sure they would all be found wanting.

He sighed and pushed his hair out of his hazel eyes. Of all the things he had every considered happening to him, falling in love at first sight hadn't been one of them. But this was different; he told himself. He didn't love her for her looks…well, not just. "I am such an idiot," he growled, still unable to take his eyes off her. He groaned and flopped down on the sand, his hands behind his head. Anduin began to hum softly as he tried to puzzle through the emotional mess he had found himself in. He found himself putting words to the song, though he was making it up as he went along. It was one of his few talents, apart from looking good and avoiding anything that required too much effort.

What could he do about this trouble he landed in? he wondered as his voice danced effortlessly through the twilight. And how could he get out of it?

All of a sudden, he had a far more pressing concern, for the young woman next to him was stirring and her eyes were fluttering open. Anduin took one last frightened look at her, was nearly lost in those magnificent blue eyes and dove into the sea.

Rose was left lying on the shore, breathing heavily and wondering what in heaven's name had just happened to her.

Diana, exhausted from both the magic and tragedy that she had so recently participated in, had fallen asleep on the floor with her head pillowed in her mother's lap. Lizzie watched her daughter sadly, stroking the long, auburn hair.

"You know," she said softly to her husband, "There were better ways for you to have told her about what happened when she let go."

"I hadn't been thinking clearly at the time," he answered, rubbing his temples.

"I'd noticed," Lizzie said dryly. "Don't do it again, it's not the most effective learning technique."

"I know," Joshua sighed, sitting next to his wife and resting his chin atop her shoulder. "I know."

Neither one of them kept track of time as they sat there on the floor, lost in their own thoughts and mourning in their own way. But when Diana awoke, they were thrown out of their silent recollections by wonderful news.

The young girl opened her eyes and winced. She had shifted in her sleep and something that had been in her mother's lap had managed to imprint itself on the side of her face. Grimacing, Diana picked it up and then shrieked. Lizzie's heart jumped in her chest and Joshua's head whirled around quickly.

"What is it?" he asked, trying to keep the worry in his voice to a minimum. Diana held the ring up triumphantly.

"Look at it," she said as her mother breathed an enormous sigh of relief and her father practically started laughing with happiness. "It's flashing! She's alive!"

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – Well, finally, a happy ending to a chapter. It took me long enough, I know. And I'm sorry this took longer than I had anticipated. The calendar and my throat have been conspiring against me, so I apologize for that. I hope you all like my latest addition to the available males here. (ie – Joshua's now taken, so someone else needs to be there). If anyone doesn't get the name Anduin, I will be very upset. I think he'll be Andy for short. And I'm not sure if I'm satisfied with the way this worked out, so any criticism or approbation would be sincerely appreciated. Oh, and She'ol is an ancient Hebrew word for the depths of the sea. I always liked it.

So, onto the thank yous, since you were all as wonderful as always.

Kate – Aww, thanks. I try to write realistically, but it is hard to do when one is dealing with fantasy and I'm so glad that you think I did a good job. And I agree with the hurrah for big words. My personal favorite is Kakistocracy (a government run by the worst person possible), it just sounds good. But it doesn't really come up in conversation all that often.

Soofija – Thank you and my imagination thanks you as well, though it has no clue where it gets its ideas from either. And yeah, Diana's not too happy to get blamed either. Perhaps it'll scar her for life or something…

Anarea Rose – Yeah, don't you just hate cliffhangers (grins)? Well, I didn't this time around, so the wait for the next chapter shouldn't be as traumatizing.

So, have fun and I'll be posting more soon (I hope). Especially if this current bout of strep tortures me.

Levana (Damian)


	5. Growing Pains

_**Chapter 5**_

The atmosphere in the Gilld household that night was one of gaity bordering on hysteria. Joshua, Lizzie and Diana were so emotionally drained from the afternoon's proceedings that the excuse to simply be happy was too tempting. And the younger ones had absolutely no idea why everyone else was so pleased, but they were perfectly willing to add to the atmosphere.

As soon as Diana had discovered that her cousin was still alive, Lizzie went back to the mirror to watch Rose's progress. The first thing they saw was the young woman sitting cautiously up and staring at her surroundings. She seemed confused, but quite glad to be alive. They could not tell what was going on, for the mirror only showed them Rose and her immediate area. But she was soon shouting for something, standing shakily on her feet and waving to someone inland. A few moments later, another person appeared in the glass. He was tall and regal looking with black hair and grey eyes. Joshua reacted violently and nearly sent the mirror flying off the table.

"What is it?" Diana asked, her heart speeding up as she wondered what sort of trouble her cousin was in now.

"Who is it?" Lizzie corrected with a sigh. "And that's Prince Henry, if you must know."

Diana's jaw dropped. "That's the Prince?"

"Yes," Lizzie answered. "Get to know what he looks like now, it'll be useful information."

Joshua muttered something under his breath. "What?" Diana asked curiously as her mother snickered.

"Your father never liked the royal family," she explained. "He will be hard pressed to keep a civil tongue in his head when they arrive."

"They're coming?"

"Oh," Joshua said blandly, "I forgot to tell you. His Majesty has decided to spend the summer down here and will be bringing the entire court, including any number of eligible young men and women."

Diana was visibly shocked at these words, but she fought for her composure. "Were you planning on telling me?" she asked icily.

"Of course," Joshua answered. Lizzie glared at her husband and unspoken words that Diana could not decipher passed between them. "Anyway, I think out plans may need to be changed and I'm going to have to travel up to London to claim our adventurer. I would have liked her first…encounter with our royalty to be in my house, but-" He shrugged expressively. "Be that as it may, I can get there in a day if I fly."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Lizzie asked worriedly.

"Better than leaving her in the hands of those predators," Joshua answered.

"The Prince isn't that bad," Lizzie observed.

"I wasn't referring to the Prince." Joshua grinned. "But this can wait one night, I'd like to recover a little more of my strength before embarking on this trip."

They had gone down to dinner after that and had enjoyed themselves tremendously. It was only after dinner, when Diana was strolling in the direction of the library, thinking to read some more fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, that she was accosted by her mother.

"I had an idea," Lizzie said without preamble. Diana raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "You know that your father is leaving tomorrow for the castle, correct?" Diana nodded, trying to hide her distaste for, like all his children, she hated it when Joshua went away. "I was thinking that you should go with him."

Diana laughed. "Why, does he need supervision?"

"Let's just say that His Majesty does not bring out your father's best side and he might behave better if his young, impressionable, teenaged daughter was there. Besides, it solves any chaperone problems of uncle and niece traveling together."

"That's a problem?" Diana asked skeptically.

"It has been in the past," Lizzie said softly. "You and I know that nothing will happen, but…" she trailed off.

"Papa's not going to like this," Diana pointed out.

"He's always wanted to work with you on long distance flying," Lizzie answered, "Here's a perfect opportunity."

Diana burst out laughed. "Mama, you really do think of everything!"

"I try," Lizzie said modestly.

Later that night, Lizzie was having the conversation once again, but her partner this time did not seem quite as inclined to listen to her.

"I said no," Joshua repeated. "She's not coming."

"Did you hear a single thing I told you?" Lizzie asked exasperatedly.

"I heard everything and I'm telling you no."

"Then I'll go and retrieve Rose," Lizzie answered him, standing with her hands on her hips and blocking his way to their bedroom.

Joshua laughed derisively. "Don't be absurd."

"I wasn't aware that I was lacking in any magical prowess, why is the idea of me going so absurd?"

"You're being ridiculous," Joshua replied. "You know full well why I don't want you to go there. Or Diana, for that matter."

"That's exactly the point; would you rather she meet them on her own when they come here and have her fall under their charms?"

Joshua didn't reply at first, he was obviously mulling something over in his head.

"Well?"

"I hate it when you're right," he grumbled, pulling Lizzie into his embrace.

"I know," was her smug reply. "But it's not so bad, is it?"

Joshua shrugged. "That depends on your definition of bad. If letting you have your way means allowing me to have my way with you, then we have what to talk about."

Lizzie muttered something under her breath that Joshua barely overheard, but was much amused at the bits that he caught. 'Before we get to that part of the night," she said when her low tirade was done, "There's something I want to discuss with you."

"Something else?" he whined.

"Stop it," she chided, "You sound like your eldest son. This is serious." Joshua motioned for her to continue. "How much do you remember about the storm?"

"Too much," he growled.

"Do you remember seeing who caused it?"

Joshua was about to answer in the negative, then stopped as an idea hit him. "It was the King, wasn't it?"

Lizzie nodded. "And he recognized you."

"How? I was in Rose's body!"

"Well, I was reading his lips with the mirror and he addressed her as the children of an old ally."

"Damn!"

"So what do you propose we do?"

"Ignoring it sounds like a really good idea."

Lizzie clucked her tongue, but held back any further comments.

"At least for now," Joshua added, "There's too much to think about until then."

"Yes. Like the fact that you're leaving me tomorrow."

"Then we had better make the most of the time we have now," Joshua replied, smirking.

"You really are a dastardly rake sometimes," Lizzie said fondly, elbowing him in the side. That didn't go as planned, for he grabbed her arm, whirled her around and kissed her deeply. She was in no mood to complain.

* * *

The next morning dawned warm and cloudy. Joshua was in no mood to go flying or to even leave the warm, comfortable bed. But if he didn't go, he would be abandoning his poor niece to the dogs in the castle and he would never let that happen, especially with Rose in such a weakened state. He sighed and stretched.

"Stop moving," Lizzie muttered, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck.

"Don't I wish," Joshua replied, kissing her good morning.

"I don't want you to leave," she complained.

Joshua laughed and grabbed the comb sitting next to the bed. "Sit up and I'll comb your hair," he offered, deftly changing the subject with a ritual that they had observed for the past seventeen years.

Lizzie struggled out of her warm cocoon under the blankets and settled down so that she was curled up against the pillows with her back to Joshua. With the same careful care he always showed, he began to untangle her long, brown tresses.

Even though Joshua tried to procrastinate as long as he could, he was soon done with his task and was faced with the far more unpleasant chore of getting dressed to fly.

Lizzie grudgingly followed her husband out of bed and pulled on a dressing gown.

"Where are you going?" Joshua asked Lizzie as he detailed to one of his servants which outfit he wanted for the excursion as well as which ones to put in the satchel that he would be carrying on his back.

"To help Diana get ready," Lizzie answered. "She's never done this before, remember?"

"I had hoped you'd forget she was to come," Joshua answered as he dressed.

"I'm going to ignore that statement," Lizzie retorted, "And I'll see you at breakfast."

Joshua shook his head as she slipped out of the room. She was wonderfully intolerable sometimes. He was always amazed at how well they got along, although that may have been because they were always arguing about something so anything less than a full blown fight was concerned perfect amiability. And a week away from her would make him miss his wife terribly.

Lizzie swiftly found her way to Diana's room. The young girl was sitting on the end of her bed, in the middle of an animated conversation with one of the maids about what to wear and if there even was clothing suitable for both flying and a young lady. Lizzie interfered just in time.

"Diana," she called out, walking in without knocking.

"Mama, I need your help."

Lizzie, with that inexplicable talent of mothers to always know what to do, turned to the maid. "There is a dress in the back of my closet that I wish you to fetch. It is in the large, golden chest and try not to disturb any of the other dresses."

The maid curtsied and went off to do her mistress's bidding. Diana looked at her mother, curiosity written all over her face. Lizzie just smiled mysteriously.

"Now," she said, "Let's find you some good riding clothes." Lizzie and Diana, with the help of some of the other maids, put together a small bag's worth of folded clothes that would not weigh too much, for Diana would be in the air for the next fifteen hours and needed all her strength.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Diana asked nervously as she tested the weight of the bag.

"Positive," Lizzie answered. "Ahh, Delilah, thank you." The maid who had found the dress curtsied once again and presented it to Diana, who gasped in surprise. It was a magnificent gown, made of silken blue material with a silver overlay.

"Put it on," Lizzie urged. Diana, still in a state of ecstatic surprise, complied. She stared at herself in the mirror. The skirts flared out, accentuating curves Diana was only beginning to develop and the bodice hugged her chest in a very fetching manner. She smiled and smoothed the skirts, whirling around.

"I do believe her father will kill you for allowing his precious eldest daughter to wear that." Lizzie turned towards the door and smiled broadly at the head housekeeper.

"Yes, Allisande, I do believe he will. But she is a young woman now."

"Fathers tend not to take that information well," Allisande pointed out dryly.

"But it should provide ample amusement for the rest of us," Lizzie answered promptly before turning back to Diana. "There is a small sheath on your left hip," she said, "Find it."

Diana located the empty pouch. "What's it for?"

"This," her mother answered, producing a silver and rowan wand that Diana had rarely been privileged to use.

"You're giving it to me?" she yelped.

"I'm _lending_ it to you," Lizzie corrected. "It's an old family heirloom, so's the dress come to think of it, and I would like them both back in one piece." Lizzie grinned suddenly. "Do you have time for a story?"

Diana's eyes brightened. "I always have time for a story."

Lizzie nodded. "It's more of an explanation. That dress belonged to my mother-in-law, your grandmother. You were named for her. She was a magnificent woman who, while a bit dictatorial, was one of the most capable sorceresses ever. If it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't have survived my first test of magic."

"Which was?" Diana prompted.

"I had to kill the most powerful wizard in the past two hundred years." Lizzie smirked. "It wasn't easy."

"How did Papa let you do that?" Diana wondered.

"Well, I didn't exactly tell him about it," Lizzie hedged. "Anyway, back on topic. Diana had given me that dress at the time as encouragement and gave her life to see that I lived." Lizzie smiled sadly. "And she made me promise that one day, I would pass it down to a daughter of mine. You've got a lot to live up to, little girl, but I have utter faith in you. The distaff line in this family has always been stronger."

"I heard that," Joshua yelled through the door.

"You were meant to," Lizzie answered. "Now go and greet your father."

Sheathing the wand and taking a deep breath, Diana went out to meet her father. When she entered her sitting room, her father's jaw dropped. He had not been expecting her in that dress and she looked stunning. He bit his lip, unwilling to consider the fact that his daughter, in all ways but one, had grown into this beautiful lady.

"You…you look…" he stuttered, at loss for words. Abigail, who had come to visit her sister before they left, made up for it.

"Pretty!" she exclaimed, running up to Diana and giving her a big hug. "I want a dress like that."

Diana managed not to laugh as Joshua groaned. "One at a time, please," he protested. He lifted his eyes to the door and saw his wife and Allisande share a smile. "I should have known you two were behind this."

"She's going to court, remember," Allisande said. "You can't expect her to appear in some strange chastity belt you've designed to fly in, not when her grandmother had left her this dress." Diana was trying so hard not to laugh, but her godmother could be hysterical sometimes.

"It's magically modest while flying," Lizzie said with a smile, "And has numerous other useful traits, as you well know."

"I wasn't aware that making a man lose his children was one of them," Joshua grumbled.

"No, darling, that's just you being stupid."

Diana snickered and immediately tried to suppress it. Joshua glared at her and Lizzie, still grinning like the Cheshire Cat, pressed a kiss to his lips. "I know you hate it when I'm right," she murmured in his ear. He laughed, unable to stop himself.

"Tell me about it," he said before waxing serious. "Can you warn me next time you do something like this to my baby girl?"

"They only grow up once, Joshua."

His eyes were bright with something close to tears. "I know," he whispered. "I only have one chance to get this right." Lizzie wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"You've done wonderfully so far," she replied quietly. "You'll be fine for the rest of it; I have absolute faith in you."

"Even when I'm being stupid?" he asked, the familiar glint returning to his eyes.

"You're a man, I can't expect much more than that." Joshua chuckled and gently tugged on her hair.

"Shrew."

"Lech."

"Will you two stop?" Diana pleaded. "We need to get moving."

"As my lady commands," Joshua answered sardonically, all traces of his previous feelings cleverly hidden, though his wife could still see the telltale signs. He would be fine, though.

Joshua and Diana were provided with food and drink to last their entire flight and most of the household turned out to bid them farewell. Joshua kissed his three children goodbye and Diana promised to come home with new stories for her siblings and then they were off, taking flight with all the grace and majesty of a great eagle. Long after everyone disappeared, Lizzie and Allisande were still standing there, waiting.

"You never stop worrying about them," Allisande said, laying a comforting hand on her mistress's shoulder.

"No," Lizzie agreed. "You don't."

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – So, something good has come from this $ing virus I seem to have caught. I've had nothing to do other than sit around on this monstrous machine all day and type my brains out. Although, this might have had something to do with the fact that I stayed up all night Sunday night (I went to sleep at 830 am – oops). I don't know whether you should hope I get better soon or not, I seem to be so productive when sick.

And don't worry, I'll get back to Anduin eventually, but not for another few chapters. Story switches to Rose and Diana now. And I am not basing the king of England on any particular monarch, so don't try to place this historically by him (since Disney wasn't particularly clear on time either. I mean, there were guns, it was post baroque, there were little clocks and yet a Prince can disappear for ten years and no one will notice. Oh well). In fact, it's a fairy tale so please ignore history all together. Anyway, I hope you all liked this latest installment and I know that, technically, Diana Sr. and Jr. aren't related, but Lizzie's keeping up the lie. I think that's it, now onto the thank yous.

Shortstef – Am I really that predictable? Well, it's not surprising, they worked too hard to keep her safe last time. I liked Anduin too and I am perfectly willing to ignore that sentence, since it means I preserve some mystery, although I didn't think I was being subtle. Oh well. And you're welcome, but don't expect another one any time soon, I think I've sufficiently traumatized Joshua for a while, poor thing.

Soofija – Of course we love good looking guys, even if they have tails (which he should soon get rid of). Yeah, the little mermaid-ness had to enter, since I was working with this plot. And Lizzie did notice what Tritan had called them, but she was the only one who could see what he was saying, since she was reading his lips and, after that, it took a while to confront Joshua about it. And the current plan is not to tell Diana about her lineage. Can't blame them, but we'll see if that works.

Anarea Rose – Thanks. If you couldn't tell, I love fairy tales. And here's some more to feed the addiction of the masses (or do I flatter myself overmuch?)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and tune in for more soon, since I will update sooner if I get reviews. Either way, there should be another two chapters before Sunday, but after that it might get a little hectic, since I'll be flying for 11 hours. Not so exciting.

Enough about my life. Bbye all!

Levana (Damian)


	6. Teenagers

_**Chapter 6**_

Mages rarely agree on anything, but in one of the few areas that a consensus can be reached, each and every one of them will say that flying is the greatest way to travel. The wind in one's hair, the dazzling scenery below, the swoop and whirl that only a mage's mastery of air can provide and, above all, the sheer freedom that comes with flinging oneself out into the sky and becoming like a bird.

However, a certain young sorceress in training was willing to concede that fourteen hours of being airborne could make flying lose quite a lot of appeal. Diana sighed and rolled over so that she was on her back and could rest her head on her hands.

"Diana," said her father warningly.

"No one is going to shoot me in mistake for a bird," she replied for the tenth or so time since they had started. The first time she had turned to face away from the ground, her father had scolded her for not paying attention. She had given in to him that time; his points about what the rest of humanity would do if they saw her flying through the air, not to mention how easy it would be to crash into a bird had been well taken. But after flying for so long, she thought she was ready to lose her mind if she didn't relax.

"This is your first time flying over unfamiliar territory," Joshua repeated in a long suffering tone. "You-"

"-don't know how they're going to react," Diana said along with him, her voice twisted in mimicry.

Joshua was not in the mood for this. "Diana, behave properly or I will see you punished." His voice was harsh and angry, completely unlike the way he usually spoke.

Diana had not heard that tone from her father in a while and it made her realign herself in the air before she even had a chance to think.

"Thank you," he said, his voice back to its usual pleasant sounding manner.

"Would you have really disciplined me?" Diana asked in a small voice, remembering the last time he had threatened one of his children with corporeal punishment. It had been Jonathan and he had been doing something incredibly stupid. He had deserved the small beating he had received, but it had been years since her father had treated her in that way.

"That would have depended."

"On?"

"On how long it took you to listen."

Diana glared down at him. "I'm not seven anymore, you know."

"True," he agreed. "You were behaving more like a five year old anyway." He ignored her cry of rage. "Perhaps I should have sent you to bed without dinner."

"You wouldn't have disciplined me!" she shouted at him. "You just said that to scare me."

"It worked," he replied with a shrug. "And had you continued to behave in such an infantile manner, I might have reconsidered. Can I expect that you will listen to me for the remainder of our trip and not try to contradict me?"

"Or else?"

"Must everything come with a caveat? I'm your father and you are obligated to heed my words. That should be enough. Though we still have an hour to go; I'm sure I could come up with some appropriate chastisement."

"No, I'll listen," Diana conceded sullenly. They traveled on in silence.

Joshua stared down at the villages increasing beneath him, feeling decidedly guilty. He always did after shouting at one of his children; he just couldn't help it. 'No one ever said fatherhood was easy,' he thought bitterly to himself. 'But why does it have to be so difficult sometimes?'

Diana was thinking along similar lines. 'Why does childhood need to be so difficult? Why can't he just listen to me sometimes? I'm not an infant anymore; he just doesn't want to let me grow up. It's not like he can stop me.'

And so, by the time they reached the smoke covered city of London, they were both in a foul mood indeed.

"We're here," Joshua said as they neared the Thames and began to follow its path toward their destination.

"I had noticed," Diana spat back.

Joshua rolled his eyes heavenward in a 'God, what did I do to deserve this?' sort of gesture. He knew that if he didn't make the first move towards reconciliation, they could easily stay mad all night. "We'll be landing at Hampton Court in another five minutes. I doubt that I have to tell you to behave yourself-"

"You don't!" she interjected.

"Let me finish," Joshua told her exasperatedly. "So I expect you to be at your best to make up for the fact that I will undoubtedly be at my worst." He grinned crookedly at her, glad that her mouth was no longer set in those angry lines it had been in for the past hour. "That was the other reason you came, remember?"

"Yeah," she answered in a small voice.

Joshua sighed and rose slightly in the air, taking Diana's hand and smiling comfortingly at her. "Don't worry, Di. You have nothing to fear. Other than a little consternation at our arrival so late at night and in such an odd manner, but this is not the first time you've startled people with magic, is it?" She chuckled despite herself. "But please do not leave Rose's side and watch out for the men of the castle. They are not nice people."

"Which is why we will be hosting them for the summer?"

"I wasn't asked, I was ordered. And while I could defeat the King in battle if really needed to, it isn't at the top of my list of priorities."

"You would make a far better king than him, from what I've heard."

"The fish in the river, if there are any left, would make a better king than him," Joshua muttered. "But I have no desire whatsoever to be king. Far too much effort and, besides, could you imagine Jonathan as crown prince?" She laughed and he joined in picturing his stubborn, recalcitrant son sitting still in a chair and pretending to be interested in the doings of court.

"And I'd have to marry some stuck up prince you choose for me," Diana added.

"Who says you don't?" Joshua replied, winking and glad that they were back on good terms once again. They were both too much like their father when angry and Joshua hated the reminder, both of his lineage and hers.

"You wouldn't do that me," Diana said. "You married for love."

"Of course I did, but that was because I was living a fairy tale," he answered flippantly.

Diana snorted. "Fairy tales don't exist."

"Then you shouldn't hope for a happily ever after," was her father's retort.

She glared at him. "You're very mean to me."

He shrugged, laughing, and guided them down to the ramparts. She followed her father, a strange feeling growing in the pit of her stomach that she was beginning to recognize as dread.

"The grounds are warded," Joshua murmured softly to her. "But a few wizards, myself for example, have unlimited access."

"Why?" she couldn't help but question.

"Because some people are too dangerous to keep out," Joshua answered. "So they shouldn't be all that shocked to see us. Observe only the courtesies I show him for you are a sorceress and have no need to grovel before a mere king."

"I can understand why they dislike you at court," she grumbled.

Joshua ruffled her hair tenderly. "That's not the reason; it's accepted for a mage to treat a king like an equal…though they should not be quite as free with their tongues as I cannot help but be."

"So I shall be silent to recompense for your incessant chattering?" They grinned at one another and Diana was pleased that her mother had finagled her way into making her a part of this expedition, agonizingly long flight notwithstanding.

The two mages slipped down, using magic to fly into the room closest to the king's bedroom and shocking the attending men quite well.

"Will you tell your master that Wizard Duke Joshua Gilld and Sorceress Lady Diana Gilld are here speak with him?" Joshua announced, causing the men to race inside their master's room. His lips curled into a frightening smile. Though he hated Andrew, the imprint that his father had left on this King was one Joshua had no scruples in exploiting. He remembered, fondly, the other reason he had not let Lizzie go in his stead. The King was torn on the subject of her, for he had little respect for any women, but finding out that she had been the instrument of Andrew's ruin had made him rethink that opinion and, as far as Joshua was concerned, just made her more vulnerable when she entered his castle. It was one of the many reasons he did not want court at his home. And if Lizzie was first on that list, Diana was a very close second. He was only too glad to be chaperoning this first meeting and had purposely chosen a time when the king would be at his worst.

Diana waited impatiently as the occupants of the next room scurried to accommodate their midnight visitation. Her father stood nonchalantly, watching the door with an easy grace that made her wonder, once again, why he so rarely appeared among all the other nobles. It wasn't that he lacked social skills or friendliness. So what was it?

She was interrupted in the middle of her musings when the King appeared, dressed in a richly embroidered dressing gown and nightcap to match. She bit her lip in an attempt not to laugh at the monarch. Her father bowed shortly and she curtsied, going down to just the right degree and holding it just long enough so that she would not give offense.

"Welcome to my humble abode," said the King blandly. "I trust your travel was comfortable."

"It was indeed," Joshua answered. "I have come to speak to you about your son."

"Oh?"

"He returned from the shore today with a young girl whose parents and relatives you are well acquainted with. She was thrown overboard in a storm and, by God's grace, has been delivered to your doorstep. And I have come to take my niece home."

The King, to his credit, did not display his shock at Joshua's demand. "Your familial feeling does you credit, but you really did not need to come all this way to see her. We will be at your doorstep within two weeks; you could have easily met up with her there."

"You know full well why I wish her at my house," Joshua growled.

"Do I?" the King replied, his voice barely suggesting something, but intimating it all the same. Diana, rightly worried about her father's reaction to that statement, spoke up before he did.

"Your majesty, I don't mean to be rude, but perhaps the reason you do not understand my father is that you do not have daughters of your own. When a young woman arrives in a new place, it can be very frightening, especially after she has suffered the way that my cousin has. My father is correct in stating that it would be much easier for Rose were she to return with us and accustom herself to our country without the privilege of appearing at court every day." She smiled sweetly. "In fact, I believe my dear cousin would be reassured to see a familiar face even now. May I request an escort to her chambers?"

"You may indeed," replied the King, knowing as well as Diana did that to refuse such a courteous request was not a good idea, especially with her protective father standing right there. He asked two of the guards to take her to the guest chambers and they went off. Joshua didn't worry about her; she was perfectly capable of taking care of them should the need arise.

"Your daughter has grown much since I last saw her. She has become a fine young woman."

"Yes she has," Joshua replied, displeased with this interest, though he knew it could not have been avoided. "I'm very proud of her; she has the same strength and grace as her mother."

"And the same power; I'd wager."

"I don't think it would be wise for you to try and find out," Joshua replied idly. "And now, if you don't mind, I've been traveling all day and would appreciate a chance to rest."

"Of course, Gilld. Your wish is my command." His tone was anything but amused. "Your usual rooms are ready, would you like an escort?"

"No, I wouldn't wish to deprive you of all your necessary groomsmen," Joshua replied, smirking.

"You had better learn to watch your tongue," the King warned, his voice deadly soft.

"When it suits me to, I will," Joshua answered. "It is a sad king who cannot handle a friendly jest."

"I am perfectly capable of handling a _friendly_ jest. Your rooms are kept ready, as always. Good night, Gilld."

"Sleep well, my King."

Joshua stalked out of the room and navigated the corridors of the castle with a practiced ease. He was nearing his own suite when he heard two voices speaking through a door. He recognized them and smiled, knocking carefully on the door.

"May I come in?" he enquired.

"By all means," Diana called back. The door swung open and Joshua entered his niece's sitting room. Diana and Rose were sitting on one of the couches, deep in conversation.

"Did I miss anything interesting?" he asked, hooking a stool with his foot and sitting down on it.

"Why don't you tell my father?" Diana suggested to Rose, who laughed and blushed slightly.

"He'll only think I'm making it up," she answered.

Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Now I'm curious, tell me."

"All right," Rose said with a shrug, glaring at Diana, who hid a snicker behind her hand. "I don't really remember what happened before I fell over-" Joshua and Diana shared a guilty look, "-but I remember hitting the water and sinking. It was absolutely terrifying and I swear I saw my whole life flash before my eyes… but you don't want to hear about this,"

Joshua put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You were marvelously lucky and very brave to have survived as well as you did."

"Well, you see, I don't think I survived on my own." At Joshua's confused expression, she elaborated. "I think I was rescued by someone. When I woke up, I was lying on the beach and there was someone sitting next to me. My eyes were blurry, so I couldn't see what he looked like well, but his hair was a dark auburn or perhaps brown. And he was singing." She grinned sheepishly. "I would have thought I was hallucinating, but I heard the most gorgeous voice singing and I can recall the words I heard and it was not a song I knew. The words are, though I cannot repeat it the way he sang, are _No beauty could move me, no goodness improve me, no power on earth if I can't love her. No passion could reach me, no lesson could teach me-_. And then he stopped and, I swear by all that is holy, he disappeared."

Joshua stroked his chin. "Interesting story."

"Do you think I'm crazy?"

"Of course not," he answered. "I don't know what happened to you; perhaps it was a miracle."

Rose and Diana both laughed derisively. "You two are the biggest pair of skeptics I've ever met," he told them fondly. "But I suggest you don't puzzle the mysteries of your rescuer tonight; we'll be leaving early tomorrow."

"Why?" Rose exclaimed.

"Because I want to get home and prepare for when the King is going to drag this entire court to Gilld Hall."

"But why didn't I come with them?" Rose wondered. "I mean, I'm extremely grateful that you came for me, but it was so inconvenient."

"Diana, you can handle this," Joshua said, rising to his feet. "I'm tired." Diana grimaced at her father's retreating back,

"He's impossible," she muttered.

Rose laughed. "So what's this secret your father wants you to tell me?"

So, with a sigh, Diana explained what she had been able to glean from her father about his prejudices. They spoke long into the night and fell asleep side by side, identical smiles of sisterhood gracing their lips. Joshua, however, was not so fortunate and whether it was due to a strange bed or a lack of a familiar bedfellow, it was a long time before he drifted off into sleep.

_**T.B.C**_

A/N – See, there is a bit of Beauty and the Beast in there! The song Anduin sang to Rose is, of course, If I Can't Love Her from BATB on Broadway. So I hope you all enjoyed this latest update and I'm curious what you think of Diana. Anyway, in the meantime, I owe my stalwart reviewers a thank you.

Soofija – I'm sorry to have nearly given you a heart attack. In answer to your question, it's because I have nothing to do all night and don't go to bed until four because, I'm not kidding, I don't remember to go to sleep. It's sad, but it means I can get quite bit done. Yeah, I did set myself up for a lot of issues and I only hope Diana takes it well. Joshua's had a long time to forget about her ignoble birth, but that doesn't mean he's totally oblivious and I don't doubt it'll come back to haunt them later. (grins). Anyway, glad you think he's cute (so do I but that's a totally different story!).

Anarea Rose – Glad you liked the reappearance of old heirlooms. And I'm not going to tell you why the prince and the king are dangerous; you'll have to find out. And your vote of confidence in me is very flattering. Thank you!

So that's all for this round. Hopefully one more update before Sunday, but I don't know. Love you all!

Levana (Damian)


	7. Two Traumatic Travels

_**Chapter 7**_

Early the next morning, the two members of the Gilld family present and Rose took their leave of the King and castle. It wasn't as early as Joshua would have liked, but he knew his daughter would balk at being forced to leave before daylight. So it was about two hours after dawn when the three of them set out. Rose was particularly upset that Prince Henry wasn't awake so that she could say good bye, but Joshua, after hearing his niece refer to the Prince as Harry, could not have been more pleased.

The girls, after being lavished with more gifts than they needed, descended to the carriage while Joshua was still bidding his liege lord farewell.

"You know," said the King cheerfully as Joshua made his last bow and was about to follow his child and niece, "This war of affection may be the only battle that will be easier to win on someone else's turf than my own."

Joshua whirled around, his eyes narrowed in distaste. "What do you mean by that?" he hissed, barely disguised loathing in his voice.

"You'll just have to find out, won't you?" the King replied with only a hint of triumph in his voice. "I'll see you in a fortnight."

Joshua stalked off, muttering "bastard" just loudly enough that the King would hear him but not quite loud enough that the man could call him on it.

He stomped into the carriage, rocking it far more than was necessary as he slumped into his seat. "You look pleased," Diana observed dryly, wondering just what had gone wrong with their exit; she could not have fathomed a way that would have suited her father more. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he answered grumpily, crossing one leg over the other and resting his chin on his hands. "Absolutely nothing."

"Now why don't I believe him?" Diana murmured to her cousin.

"Perhaps because he's a terrible liar?"

They both laughed and Joshua groaned, realizing he had a week's worth of this ahead of him. He stuck his head out the window, letting the breeze whip through his hair and block out the noise of two girls gossiping about a certain royal Joshua couldn't help but dislike.

The entire trip home progressed in much the same way; the girls thought that it was far too short and Joshua was convinced that if he had to endure another second of it, he would have lost his mind. The only moment he truly enjoyed was when they stopped one afternoon at a very old friend of Joshua's who had long been expecting him and who owed him a favor. But, other than that hour, it was a very long ride.

* * *

Lizzie sighed as she entered the library, her sanctum sanctorum, and found her youngest son in tears and quite a few precious volumes thrown all over the floor.

"Anthony?" she said, her voice low and dangerous. "What is the meaning of this?" She knew full well what he had been trying to do, but was curious whether he would admit it.

"I…I wanted to read too!" he whimpered, drying his eyes on his sleeve. Lizzie rolled her eyes and reached down to pick him up.

"Anthony, you're too little to read these books," she said gently to him. "When you're older you can."

He kept crying. "But I want to n..n…now!"

"Yes, well, we can work on your books upstairs," Lizzie pointed out to him. There were any number of primers upstairs for him to learn his letters from and, brilliant child that he was, he could already recognize some very simple words.

"But they're boring!" he protested, still sniffling. She couldn't argue with that.

"Just be patient," she told him. "And try not to go for the really expensive books next time." He looked at her, rather uncomprehendingly. "Come on. I have to go up and check the mirror in case any disasters have surfaced that must be dealt with before your father comes home in two days."

"Two more days?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes, little one, only two more days." Anthony laughed happily at the prospect of seeing his father again soon and Lizzie smiled as well, anxious for the return of the man she loved.

They trooped up the stairs, Anthony clutching his mother's hand, and entered into Joshua's workroom; a place so safe that Anthony could not even enter without one of his parents to accompany him. Diana had only recently been granted access on her own and so it was always exciting for one of the Gilld children to be taken in there.

Lizzie retrieved the mirror from it's habitual place in the middle drawer of the desk, refusing to let go of her son's hand in case he accidentally send the entire castle up in flames because he "just wanted to see something". Jonathan had nearly done that once, when he had been two, and neither Gilld parent had ever really recovered from the scare. Paranoia was not such a bad thing when dealing with young children.

"Come and sit on my lap," Lizzie said tenderly. Anthony climbed up and stared eagerly at the mirror, which only showed him his own reflection. His face fell.

"Where's the magic?" he asked plaintively.

"Wait a minute," Lizzie said, laughingly. She then turned to the mirror and decided that before she went to check on any impending doom, she could spare a few moments to stare at her husband. "Anthony, would you like to see Papa?" He nodded gleefully. "So tell the mirror that, okay?"

"I wanna see Papa," he said clearly and the mirror obeyed. The surface rippled and the colors swirled, reappearing again in the image of a man, about forty years old with a tired grin on his face as he gazed out the window of a carriage and daydreamed.

"Hi Papa!" Anthony yelled excitedly and Joshua, to Lizzie's utter shock waved up at them. He winked and mouthed words at them. Lizzie, looking carefully, was able to discern the words 'I love you'.

"Is he using magic?" Anthony asked.

"Of course," Lizzie replied. She blew her husband a kiss, just in case he would able to tell what they were doing, though she presumed he was merely using a spell to detect when someone was using the mirror to look in on him and would not actually be able to sense their responses. Then Lizzie spoke to the mirror again. "Mirror, are there any magical messages for my husband?"

The colors whirled around once again and coalesced into one word. "Anthony, what does that say?" she asked her son.

"Yi…es… yes!"

"Well done!" she said ruffling his hair, though she was suppressing a groan. She had forgotten how literal the mirror could be. "May I see them?" she queried. The next image the glass showed her was that of a page covered in writing and was very interesting indeed.

* * *

Anduin was going mad. It had been five days since he had rescued the beautiful girl and he simply couldn't get her out of head. It had been easy to return home and pretend he had never left; it had been a long time since he had been responsible enough to be found at a moment's notice and he had gotten off with nothing more than a light reprimand from his father, who was too busy running his own life to take an interest in his youngest son's. Anduin had spent the next few days doing anything he could think of to erase the image of the beautiful girl from his mind. None of his ideas had worked, not even visiting his usual haunts had any effect on him. The girls there simply could not hold a glowfish to _her_.

"There's no hope for it," he murmured softly as yet another one of his six older sisters gave him a queer look. He had been questioned seven times already as to who he adored this time and whether he thought it would last longer than a week. "I have to see her again." And get away from my family, he added. A sudden idea crossed his mind. He had heard the legends to be sure, but they weren't really true…were they?

Long ago, a young mermaid had disappeared and the myth had it that she had turned herself into a human and gone to live with her lover above the surface. It was simply a fairy tale told to amuse the little ones, but no one in their right mind really believed it. But there were fairly specific directions as to how to reach the dark enchantress of the depths and Anduin figured that if it was merely a joke, he would have only wasted a few hours and it wasn't as if he had any better to do than follow any available path to woman of his dreams. He winced and wondered when he had become so pathetic.

His plans to leave swiftly were foiled, however, by an odd visitation. His mother finally came to see him; rumors of his strange behavior had obviously gotten back to her.

"Anduin, are you alright?" she asked softly, laying a gentle hand on her son's shoulder.

"I'm fine," he answered irritably. "I was just leaving."

"Are you off to see your latest conquest?"

Anduin grinned. "Yes, in fact, I am." His grin widened with a very evil thought. "If you follow me, you can find out where she lives." And he swam out the door, quite pleased with the expression on his mother's face. He knew that, on one hand, she would do anything to try and find out who it was that he was after this time, yet she hated nothing more than being discovered and any spying she did today would be with his full knowledge. So she would undoubtedly wait a few days and that worked perfectly well for Anduin, he didn't plan to be around any longer than this afternoon.

Hours later, the young merman finally found himself at the rift in the ocean floor. He glanced down in distaste. Every well bred bone in his body told him not to go down there and every single one of his heartstrings insisted that he did. Never one to follow the dictates of reason, Anduin entered the trench.

It was truly a dark and dismal place, the perfect home for a fairy tale monster. And from the tales told of this one, Anduin figured he had better be frightened. She was half mermaid, half kraken and utterly terrifying. He knew he would have to bargain away some valuable possession, but he didn't really care. He kind of hoped he could bargain away his place in line for the throne, for he was next after Tritan's sickly son and wanted nothing more than to get rid of that. All things considered, this idea fit into his general life plan very well.

The trench deepened and Anduin followed it. As he went down, he forced himself to accept the very real possibility that it was just a fairy tale. Admittedly, he had never really thought it could be more than that, but it was still a little disheartening to have such hopes on this magic coming true and now, after all his efforts, to have nothing happen. _And_ he would have to explain things to his mother. The merman shuddered, and not just from the cold.

An eerie green light shown out of one of the crevices in the wall and Anduin's heart began to beat faster from anxious anticipation. He swum faster, wanting to get this ordeal over with.

"Come in," called a deep female voice from within the cave. "Come in my child. We mustn't lurk in doorways."

"So I was taught," Anduin replied, entering the strange cave. Glowing algae decorated the interior in strange, mystical whorls that Anduin assumed were magical in their nature and didn't bother to question.

"Now, if I am correct, and I always am, you are here about a young lady you have discovered recently. A very special young lady, I might add. And you're smitten with her. Well, you have good taste, I'll grant you that. But your tail may give you a little trouble in trying to win her heart. Though that's why you came to me, isn't it?"

Anduin grinned. "You are quite good," he said, unable to help liking her. True, the legend painted her as an evil soul stealer, but she spoke easily and with a sense of humor he found that most others lacked. "So can you help me?"

"For a price, dearie, I can do anything for a price."

"And yours is...? I don't do 'favors', so that's out."

The witch laughed delightedly. "Oh, it's nice to see someone with spirit down here, all I usually get are pathetic weeping girlies. And while your not-offer is tempting, I know better than to push my limits. I have a set contract for this; you get legs and I get your voice."

"Why would you want my voice?" Anduin muttered. "I understand why you wanted Princess Ariel's, but I don't sing all that well and, even if I did, it would sound very stupid coming from your throat."

The witch laughed. "Brave words and you dared to mention that little twit around me. You are really very courageous…or perhaps very stupid."

"The latter," Anduin told her with an ill concealed grin.

"Yes, I think you're right. But I have my own reasons, as I'm sure you'll find out. So do we have a deal?"

"How long do I have?" Anduin asked, his heart beginning to pound against his rib cage as he realized that this bargain wasn't hypothetical anymore.

"Until your beloved marries another," the witch answered. "None of this silly three day thing; no one can fall in love that quickly." Anduin refrained from commenting. "And you'll have to get used to your legs; there's really not much I can do to help you there."

"What happens if she marries another?" Anduin asked, swallowing nervously.

"Then you explode."

"_What_?" Anduin exclaimed, but the witch couldn't answer; she was doubled over in laughter.

"I was kidding, you stupid boy," she said when she had finally regained her breath, so to speak. "If she marries another, you lose your legs once again and belong to me."

"In what sense?"

"Every sense there is," she answered, grinning and showing unnaturally bright teeth.

'Oh well,' thought Anduin. 'This just means I can't fail.' He grinned in reply. "Very well, we have a deal."

They shook hands and, as their hands met, Anduin screamed. He felt as if someone was sucking his voice from his throat, through his veins and into the witch via their handshake. It was so agonizing; it almost served to distract him from the terrible pain in his tail, which was the sensation of someone taking a blunt knife and methodically sawing his fins in twain. He shrieked like a banshee before everything suddenly went silent. His voice was gone, disappearing into the witch's body. At that moment, the splitting of his legs had been completed and he found himself choking on the water that had, up until a few seconds before, been his life force. He clawed his way up, trying desperately to reach the surface so that he could breath. His legs ached from the transformation, but nonetheless, they kicked as hard they could for he knew that if he did not reach the surface soon, he would die.

There were no thoughts involved in his anguished struggle for survival; no higher mental function that allowed him to reach safety. It was pure luck that Anduin managed to get his hands caught in a net that had been cast into the water to catch the fish. As the fishermen hauled up a strangely heavy load, they were shocked to discover the body of a young man entangled in their net. They were even more surprised when, after they had laid the poor lad out on the deck, he began to cough up copious amounts of sea water in an attempt to start breathing.

Anduin finally caught his breath, feeling incredibly ill and exhausted. He stared down at himself. He had legs, real legs. He wanted to get up and shout for joy, but as he quickly discovered, his voice was well and truly gone and his legs…let's just say that walking any time soon would be a challenge. He fell over the first few times he tried to stand up until one of the sailors came over and gave him a hand. He clutched gratefully at the man's arm as he was led to a small cabin and bid to rest. He nodded his head as a way of saying thanks, then promptly dropped off to sleep, drained of all energy from his ordeal.

In the meantime, the sailors on board the ship were holding a heated debate as to what should be done with their new passenger. It had become clear that he could not or would not speak and so it was impossible to discern from whence he came or, more importantly, how to return him there. Finally, one of the men suggested that they use the magical log book; a special gift from Duke Gilld that would allow them to write out their plight for him to read and help them. His Grace had provided every vessel and every town with some way of reaching him in case of emergencies and any pranksters had learned very quickly that using it was not a joke.

So the one of them who could write sat down before the book and, in a shaky hand, detailed their predicament. And, but two hours later, the Duchess sat down and read out the story of the strange man to her young son.

"Is he a merman?" Anthony asked, remembering the latest fairy tale his mother had told. He had loved it and it had been his bedtime story for the last ten or so nights.

Lizzie laughed. "I doubt he is," she answered. "But he seems to be noble, or so our contact says. And we must find some way to return him to his proper home. I shall tell our good sailors to send him up to the castle. What's one more guest, more or less?" She realized she was soliloquizing, but it amused her and so she kept speaking aloud, ignoring puzzled looks from her three-year-old. "Besides, if he is noble, then someone on this side of the channel will recognize him. Since they will all be at our house, it seems the easiest way. And if he turns out to be some rogue or peasant slave, then I'm sure he can be put to work somewhere. The household is certainly big enough. That settles it."

Rising to her feet, Lizzie lifted up a strange looking orb from Joshua's desk. She held it before her and passed her left hand over it, muttering a spell. A miniature version of the ship appeared inside of it.

"Sailors," Lizzie said, her voice clear and commanding. "I am the Duchess Gilld and, in my husband's name, I ask that you send the man you have recovered to my castle so that we may dispose of him as we see fit. Any expenses you encounter in fulfilling my request will be recompensed to you on your arrival at our home. Thank you."

She smiled and went to go and entertain her youngest son. They found themselves outside in the rose garden where Anthony played with one of the palace cats and Lizzie sat under a tree, trying to keep from falling asleep for the magic she had performed had been quite tiring. Neither of them realized the import of what had just happened, but it wouldn't be long before they would.

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – And another chapter is completed. I know this took a while to get out; I had been leaving on a jet plane and then I had to get a new computer (yay for pretty new laptops). But once I got the machine home, I just had to use it.

So anyway, I got back to the main-ish plot here with more little merman stuff. Things will come together soon and I only hope everyone does what they're supposed to for a change. The line about a rogue or peasant slave is borrowed from Hamlet "Oh, what a rogue and peasant slave I am", it's just a great line and I couldn't help myself.

On to the reviewers, who I adore, as you all know.

Short stef – I'm sorry, would you prefer I updated slower? I could arrange it… just kidding! Be grateful while this lasts, once July starts, so does my summer job. Anyway, you're right about things only being calm a little while longer and you know me too well, which is kinda sad since you've never even met me. Oh well. I'm glad you like my ideas, I do too sometimes. And thanks for the well wishes; I think I've recovered ( I hope I've recovered).

Soofija – Good, glad you weren't in danger of dying. Yeah, I'm sorry about the boring bits, they have to happen, but thanks for saying that they were still worth reading, it really means a lot to me. And it's true, I seem to get all my ideas at eleven at night and then have to keep writing until three. Go figure.

Anarea Rose – Thank you! I love the song too and it just fit so well. And Diana can be a lot like Lizzie – stubborn, intractable, loveable nonetheless. Now all she needs is a man like her father. I need one like Joshua too, come to think of it.

Lesalanna – Aww, thank you. I'm sorry about the lack of clarity in ROAB, if I ever get around to editing that, I'll try and make it clearer. And you'll see how things work out, but don't worry, all will be resolved in the end. And I'll also try and fix the mushed together words; they are really irritating and I shouldn't have let them get in like that, so thank you. And I'm really glad you liked it. You make me feel all happy inside so this chapter can be dedicated to you, as a new and wonderful reviewer.

Well, that's all for this round. More soon, if I can handle it and this warning is going to go up on the next two or so chapters. I am starting a summer job soon and will not have good internet access or a lot of time to write, so expect a serious slowdown until the end of august. I'm really sorry, but needs must and all that. If you want to pay me to write fanfic, I'll consider leaving it, but I have a feeling none of you are that desperate. I love you all so, until next time,

Levana (Damian)


	8. Communcations Breakdown

_**Chapter 8**_

The next two days were a blur for Anduin. He had refused to leave the cabin whilst on the ship, due to the fact that he had never even walked on dry land before so the deck of a ship was out of the question as far as he was concerned. Not to mention, he was useless on deck and the sailors much preferred that he stayed below as well.

A good eighteen hours after he had been picked up, the fishing vessel return to port with a full catch of fish. Anduin, still weak from his ordeal, was bundled into one of the post chaises and sent off to the castle with all the letters. He had been outside in the world of the humans for perhaps ten minutes, but even that was enough to shock him. On board the ship, he had seen naught but the cabin and, while the softness of dry fabric and the strangeness of roasted food were novelty enough, they could not compare to what he saw on land. All the animals that ran amuck around the docks were both terrifying and amazing. The variety of beasts that bayed and lowed as he staggered by was mind-boggling. He saw brightly lit fires in the windows of inns and had to restrain himself from going over to see if they were real. The flames that had been but legend under the sea truly existed out here and Anduin, morbidly curious, was wondering just what a burn was. He had no time though, the first mate had given Anduin strict instructions to follow him to the mail coaches and Anduin was terrified to be lost in this strange place. So he followed him through the streets, staying upright as best as he could. The smells were incredible; for there was no such thing as scent under the water and to have all the smells of the wharf hit him at once was staggering. But he made it to his destination in the end, only to be astonished by the enormous horses and the strange carriages that they were attached to. He was bid to climb in to one of those strange houses on wheels and, once he was loaded in, the conveyance began to move. Anduin gripped the sides in terror, unable to comprehend this form of travel for he had never experienced such a bumpy jolting ride in all his life.

It didn't take too long, however, for Anduin to accustom himself to this and, slowly but surely, the young merman drifted off to sleep in the post chaise, completely unaware of his destination or his destiny.

He awoke a few times on the ride, mainly to eat and get out of the coach to stretch his legs. He was quite the invalid though, so he stayed in one place as often as he could.

When the coach finally reached Gilld Hall, Anduin heaved himself up onto his unsteady legs and took a deep breath. This was it; this was the strange place they had said he was going to.

He tumbled out of the carriage and fell face first in the mud. The sound of childish laughed filled the air and Anduin shut his eyes, not wanting to get up just to be laughed at.

"Ignore him," said a gentle voice as a sympathetic hand was laid on his shoulder. "He's only three, though he should know better." Anduin looked up at the speaker. She was dark haired woman with a gentle face that still retained much of its youthful beauty. Her eyes were as blue as the sky and she seemed both kind and caring. Anduin smiled gratefully as she helped him up. "So, you're our mystery visitor?"

He nodded politely, thought there really was no need to reply. "I am the Duchess Elizabeth Gilld, though I daresay you will not be addressing me as such." She smiled and he couldn't help but share the wry grin. "Since we must be able to converse somehow, I am going to ask you a few questions and you will nod or shake your head in reply depending on how you wish to respond, do you understand me?"

Anduin nodded his head vehemently, grateful that she was making such an effort to allow him to speak, but irritated that he wouldn't be able to impress her with his wit or musical ability. That left good looks as his only charm and she was too old to fall victim to his wiles, not to mention the small boy clinging to her skirts and eyeing him warily was undoubtedly her son and it seemed churlish, to say the least, for him to flirt with the Duchess if he was trespassing on the Duke's hospitality. He sighed to himself; perhaps she had a daughter or younger sister that was unattached and therefore available. He had heard that some women preferred a strong, silent type.

"Very well," Lizzie said, "Shall we walk?"

He nodded his head and offered her his arm. She inclined her head graciously and accepted it. The boy ran off in front of them, for he had seem his older brother up ahead and wanted to go and "help" him practice his swordplay. Lizzie let him go, knowing that the fencing master would never allow her troublesome son to get too close. She was planning on gleaning as much information from her silent visitor as she could. Already she had learned quite a bit, for he had offered her his hand gallantly and, more importantly, with an easy familiarity that bespoke years of training in court protocol. His mannerisms were similar to those of the English court, but different enough that she knew he was not from there. A foreign noble..., this could prove very interesting. And it made it worth her while to ask the next question.

"Can you read and write?"

He nodded his head tentatively and Lizzie grinned. Things were looking up.

"In what language?" she continued, which got her a confused look. "I'm sorry, I forgot you can't answer. Can you write in English?" His blank stare remained unchanged. "Do you know what English is?"

He shook his head. "That's worrying," Lizzie murmured, "Since you understand when I speak it. You do know that I'm speaking English right now."

Anduin shrugged, as if to say "Well I do now."

"You are quite a conundrum," she continued. "One that I doubt I can solve on my own. In the meantime, let's get you inside and feed you before I continue my interrogation."

Anduin nodded excitedly and Lizzie smiled, patting his hand. "Don't worry, my friend, we'll find some way to help you."

Anduin hoped she could, for he was head over heels in love and the only thing he knew about winning the hand of his fair lady was that a faint heart was sure to fail. He followed her into the kitchen and soon found himself presented with a plate piled high with corned beef. He took the proffered seat at the table and ate as slowly as he could, under the circumstanced.

Lizzie deigned not to eat with him, she remained in the background, conversing with the cook about dinner and what Rose, Diana and Joshua would like most. Anduin was soon done, however, and as soon as Lizzie noticed, she guided him up the stairs to one of the studies.

Anduin was in awe of the room he found himself in. It was piled high with all sorts of books, from small leaflets to leather bound monstrosities that seemed to be repositories for all the knowledge in the universe. He had seen books before, but the thin slates under sea were to these books like a lantern was to the sun. He couldn't help but wonder what was in them. In the center of the room sat a large, cherry wood desk. Lizzie started walking towards it and, ever courteous, Anduin beat her to it and drew out a chair for her. She thanked him and told him to bring another chair over so that he could sit himself. That made sense, especially if he was to be writing, so he did as she bade.

"Now," said Lizzie, pulling out a piece of paper and inkwell. "Here you are." He stared at the strange apparatuses, uncomprehending what he was to do. Cautiously, he picked up the quill and examined it. Lizzie sighed, wondering just what sort of writing implement he was used to if this puzzled him. She grabbed the quill out of his hand and scribbled her own name on the page. Understanding dawned in his eyes. Anduin grabbed the pen and held it in a passable imitation of what she had done. True, it was nothing like the way he used the thin, chalky rocks at home, but the basic hold-the-end-near-the-page-and-press-down principle would always be the same.

"Can you write your name?" Lizzie inquired. Anduin rolled his eyes, trying not to let her see that action. Of course I can write my own name, he thought to himself. How old do I look?

He scrawled his name on the paper, before pushing it back towards her with a flourish. Lizzie gazed at the writing on the page, squinting to try and decipher what he had written. It became clear quite quickly, however, that whatever language he wrote it, it wasn't English… or anything else that used those letters. Lizzie bit back an oath. How could he speak her language without actually being able to communicate back in it? And how could he not even know the letters?

Anduin looked at her quizzically, before the problem dawned on him. After a cursory glance at what she had written, it occurred to him that, thought some fluke of nature made the spoken language of the land and sea the same, the written words had obviously evolved differently. Or perhaps writing was more prevalent up here, since only mages ever learned to read or write more than their own names.

Both of the room's occupants sat lost in their own thoughts, wondering how they were going to defeat this seemingly insurmountable obstacle. In the middle of their silent meditations, a knock came on the door.

"Come in," Lizzie called.

Allisande poked her head in the door and Lizzie was on her feet before the other woman had even begun to speak. Allisande laughed. "I see you can guess what my message is."

Lizzie chuckled as well. "I can indeed. Have they reached the house yet?"

"Not when I had last seen the coach. But if you don't hurry up…"

"What, I'll have to wait thirty more seconds?" she retorted, though she was already halfway to the door. "Stay here with our guest, I would like Joshua to come up and meet him."

"Yes, Your Grace," Allisande replied with a very undeferential bow.

"Cheeky," Lizzie called from down the hall, before reaching the stairs and dashing down them to greet her husband, daughter and niece.

"So," said Allisande, taking the seat Lizzie had just vacated, "What's your name?"

Anduin rolled his eyes and pointed to the piece of paper.

"Your name's Lizzie?" she asked disbelievingly.

Anduin groaned and pointed to the bottom of the paper where his name was.

"What does that say?" Allisande asked herself. "I've never seen letters like that before."

I could have told you that, Anduin thought to himself. Well, hypothetically, I suppose.

"Where are you from?" In response, Anduin pointed out the window, down the road the way that he had come.

"Can't you speak?" Allisande demanded, sick of the game he was playing.

"No!" Aduin mouthed in an exaggerated gesture while shaking his head. She got the point.

"Oh," she said softly, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." He sighed and shrugged. "Would you like me to read to you until my mistress comes back?"

Anduin's eyes lit up and he nodded his head yes. Thank Neptune for understanding old ladies. Allisande fetched one of the books from the shelf and began reading from it. Once Anduin figured out just what a pilgrimage was and what exactly was going on, he found himself engrossed in the stories that these twenty-four travelers were telling on their way to Canterbury.

Lizzie hurried to the entrance and peeked out behind the door. The carriage had just drawn up and there were three very excited children clamoring around it, waiting to see their Papa again. Lizzie smiled and drew back slightly, allowing them the chance to greet him first.

Joshua descended the carriage, grateful to have returned home safely. He smiled broadly as his young ones flung themselves at him. He embraced them each in turn, especially Jonathan who had turned eight three days earlier and whose birthday he had missed.

"Did you bring me a present?" Jonathan asked eagerly.

"No, should I have?" Joshua replied innocently. Jonathan groaned. "Of course I did," Joshua said, ruffling his hair, "Did you honestly think I'd forgotten?"

"Of course not," Diana said, picking up her little brother and kissing him on the nose. He wiped it off immediately afterwards, but it was the thought that counted.

"Your Papa brought you a very special present," Rose said, greeting Abigail, who remembered her from their last visit to Gilld castle.

"What is it? What is it?" Jonathan asked excitedly.

"Should I give it to him now?" Joshua asked Diana.

"I don't think we'll have peace in this house until you do," she replied.

"There isn't any peace in this house anyway," he pointed out. "Though I take your point." He opened the carriage door one last time and a black and silver ball of fur came bounding out, landing next to Joshua and barking excitedly.

Jonathan's jaw dropped. "Is that… for me?"

"Of course it is," Joshua replied. "His name is Gareth and he's an Irish Wolfhound." Jonathan knelt down and cautiously offered his hand to the puppy. The animal sniffed it for a moment before enthusiastically licking it. Jonathan giggled, then picked the dog up in his arms. Gareth liked that and transferred his enthusiasm to liking his new master's face.

"Well chosen," said a voice from behind Joshua. He whirled around and saw his lady wife standing against the side of the carriage.

"Thank you," he said, striding forward and embracing her. "Christ, I missed you," he murmured, burying his face in her neck.

"That bad, was it?" she teased, smiling tenderly at him.

"Two teenaged girls," he said. "Two of them! And no sane adult to keep me company."

"Rose is twenty," Lizzie pointed out.

"You know what I mean," he answered.

"Indeed I do, but you left me alone with your children."

Joshua laughed. "Does that make us even?"

Lizzie grinned. "I suppose. Now kiss me, I've missed you too."

"With pleasure," Joshua replied, raising one eyebrow. They kissed slowly and Joshua's arms tightened around her.

"Well," Joshua said after they had broken apart and Lizzie laid her head against his chest. "How is everything?"

"Interesting," Lizzie responded. "I have something I'd like your advice on."

"Oh?"

Lizzie made a face at him. "Follow me up the stairs and I'll explain it to you." They entered the house and were followed by the ever curious Gilld children. Diana and Rose went as well, knowing that their articles would be safe in the hands of the servants. Jonathan took Gareth along; the squirming puppy ran by his new master's side, eagerly exploring his new home.

By the time they reached the door of the study, Joshua, Diana and Rose were caught up on what had been happening in the castle. Joshua was intrigued by the story of his rescue and Rose felt sorry for the poor boy, since she had so recently suffered the same way. Diana asked her mother whether or not he was handsome. Joshua glared at her, but Lizzie simply told her to see for herself.

Lizzie knocked on the door before barging in.

"You're back?" called Allisande.

"Me and the entire calvacade," Lizzie agreed, "So tell him not to worry about the number of people."

Anduin rolled his eyes. He had a large family too, he knew what this was like.

Lizzie pushed open the door and Anduin's jaw dropped. For, standing in between the man who could only be Duke Gilld and a young girl who looked suspiciously like the Duchess and was undoubtedly her daughter, was the woman of his dreams.

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – Hello again. Okay, this took longer than I expected to get out, but here it is. I wound up wasting more time than I wanted to playing video games and walking the dog. (I'm back at my parents house in between school and summer and, of course, now that I've moved out, they got a dog. I've only wanted a dog since I was 3. Life's so not fair.) So, apologies for not having a good excuse. Anyway, hope you like this installment and two notes. The book referenced is Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales which, since I haven't really decided on a time frame for this yet, seemed like a good choice. Gareth the Wolfhound is based on the dog of the same name and breed in The Sunne in Splendour. If you're in the mood to read 900 pages about Richard III, it's totally worth it. It reads like a fantasy novel and makes me feel so bad that Richard got such a bad rap from Shakespeare. Ah well, pet peeve of mine. Now that the necessary redeem Richard statement is done, on to my reviewers!

Soofija – Yeah, Anduin's kinda been out of things recently and the story is sorta supposed to be about him. And he's legged now, not to mention annoyed that he can't talk. It's okay, I'm sure his wonderful personality will shine through anyway. And communication will remain a mystery until I figure something out. (grins sheepishly)

Lesalanna – You're welcome. New reviewers always make me happy and you deserved to have a dedication. Glad you like Ursula, she was my favorite character in Little Mermaid (except Max the Sheepdog) and I always thought the reason she was so mean was because Ariel was such an idiot. So I'm glad you like her makeover for when she deals with intelligent human beings.

Anarea Rose – The fairy tale spinoffs may go on for a while ( I have three more Gilld children after this one and Disney's done a lot of fairy tales). I don't like the King either and he's going to cause trouble soon, though I feel bad for the rest of his family. He's up to something all right and I hope it's catastrophic, because my characters can be dense if no one's life is in danger. Not that I would do that or anything… And I'm flattered that you consider this as exciting as the soundtrack to BATB.

Shortstef – Thank you. Of course he's going to suffer, he's a fairy tale hero! And everyone liked the sea witch, so that's good. Thank you for the compliment and hopefully I will live up to your expectations.

Kate – Well, I can't give away my secrets yet, but it did seem like Disney had them in the world already and I had to expand on that. I'm glad you like the way I did it, I was hoping it wasn't too confusing, but it seems to have turned out well, so thank you. And If I Can't Love Her is wonderful and it fit so well!

So, thank you all for reading and reviewing. I'd like to promise the next chapter will be up in shorter time than this one took, but I don't want to eat my words just yet. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Until next time!

Levana (Damian)


	9. Reading a Fairy Tale Mind

_**Chapter 9**_

Anduin realized that his mouth was somewhere around the vicinity of the floor and shut it with a snap. That had little effect, however, on his general shocked mien. Of all the people he had planned to find here, _she_ wasn't one of them. Anduin wasn't one to look a gift dolphin in the mouth, though, so he swept a gracious bow instead and waited for his hostess to introduce them all.

Lizzie smiled at Anduin and addressed him. "May I present my husband, Duke Joshua Gilld, my four children in age order, Diana, Jonathan, Abigail and Anthony, and my niece, Princess Rose Bontecou." Rose, Anduin mused. What a pretty sounding name. He wondered, idly, what it meant. "Joshua, Rose, Diana, et cetera, this is our mysterious, nameless visitor."

"Nameless, eh?" Joshua murmured. "And voiceless, so I'm told. Perhaps we should name you."

Anduin shook his head vehemently, though he couldn't help but smirk.

"Do you mistrust my judgment?" Joshua asked slyly. Deciding that he liked the Duke already, Anduin nodded his head. Joshua burst out laughing. "Well said, I like you already."

Anduin just smiled charmingly, making sure to include Rose in his gaze. She smiled back at him and he felt himself shiver slightly, though he tried to hide it.

Diana stared openmouthed at the newcomer. And there was certainly what to stare at, for he was quite the good-looking man. He was tall, with curly auburn hair and gray-green eyes like the sea on a stormy day. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist that caused his current attire of torn castaways from the sailors to look more like the ragged uniform of a hero fallen on hard times. And when he smiled, dear Lord, that man could melt hearts.

"Love, I'd like you to take a look at something," Lizzie said, slipping her arm around Joshua's elbow and leading him towards the desk. Anduin was perfectly capable of divining her thoughts and lifted the piece of paper with his name on it. He held it out to Joshua to be examined.

"Thank you," said Lizzie, letting her husband take the paper. Joshua took one look at it and dropped it immediately.

"What is it?" Lizzie asked worriedly, while Anduin stared at him with a similar expression on his face.

"Get up," Joshua said, his voice suddenly changed. Anduin knew better than to disobey. "Follow me." He stalked out of the room and Anduin was right on his heels, wondering what he could have done wrong already. Diana moved to follow them, but Lizzie caught her hand and pulled her back.

"He'll tell us soon, don't worry."

"But what if-"

"What if what?" Lizzie asked. "Shockingly enough, your father _does_ know what he's doing."

Diana fell silent, trying not to sulk. Figures, the first really gorgeous man to appear in her house was being taken and given the third degree by her father. This didn't bode well for any future swains she might encourage.

Rose laughed at her cousin. "Don't worry, I doubt he's doing this because of you."

"This is my father," Diana retorted, "Don't be sure." Her mother was stricken with a sudden, suspicious coughing fit.

Joshua stormed into his magical study and held the door open just long enough to admit Anduin before slamming it again. He took a few deep breaths as he stood behind his desk. Anduin watched him fearfully. He had no idea what was going on, but hoped that he was alive long enough to figure out.

"Come here," Joshua told him. Obeying with alacrity, Anduin found himself beside the desk. Joshua was holding a thin, metal rod in his hand. "Hold this," he directed. Anduin obeyed, hoping this wouldn't get him killed. It didn't, but that might only be because it would take a while to work.

"No," Joshua said softly, his voice as dangerous as ever. "This isn't going to kill you. It's just a very useful device that my father invented to see if someone was telling the truth by reading his or her thoughts. What you think is transmitted to my mind through this rod. It's surprisingly useful in this circumstance, don't you think?"

'Thank Neptune!' Anduin thought. 'Someone can understand me!'

Joshua smirked. "Yes, well, let's hope that proves to be beneficial to you. Why are you here?"

'Umm..,' Anduin began, not even sure how to formulate his thoughts.

Joshua rolled his eyes. "Let's start with something simpler, shall we? Where is your name from?"

Anduin shrugged. 'I was named after an old ally. Anduin is how my uncle always pronounced the name.'

Joshua sighed. Perhaps he had been too harsh on the boy; he didn't seem to have any idea what his name meant. But it had been years since he had seen the name Andrew spelled out in the ancient tongue of magic and to suddenly find a boy who carried his sire's name was disconcerting, to say the least.

"Yes," Joshua said, deciding to clarify things for his young friend, because he was getting vibes of confusion from the boy, "You were named Anduin after an old ally of your uncle's, Duke Andrew Gilld, my father."

'Oh,' Anduin said to himself, a little nonplussed. 'But how did my uncle know a human?'

"Human?" Joshua repeated. "What's the other option?"

'Merm," Anduin thought, before realizing that this might not be good information to share and shut off his brain, something he had become very good at from long sessions at the dinner table, listening to his elder sisters. But Joshua was too perceptive.

"A merman. So you're Triton's nephew," Joshua said softly. "I was wondering what had happened to your ilk. I remember when that treaty was signed; it was such a nightmare."

'You were there!'

"Yes, I was there. I was still working for my father then. This was a good three years before your were born."

'Is the pact you made still in existence?' Anduin wondered. 'Does your father still hold true to it?'

"My father has been dead for the past sixteen years," Joshua answered.

'I'm sorry," Anduin found himself thinking, almost like a reflex.

"I'm not," Joshua answered. "I helped kill him." The shock reverberating down the rod was oddly satisfying. "He was not the kind of man you wanted alive. But enough about him and the dubious heritage you carry along with his name. I won't hold that against you. What are you doing here? Why would a merman consent to lose his fins and voice to become human..?" Joshua trailed off as what he just said began to register. He had been the first to read the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson, even before passing it on to his lovely lady wife and he remembered the premise all too well. "Not again," he groaned.

'What?' Anduin asked, glad that he was no longer in the Duke's bad books, but still puzzled by the man's unfathomable statements.

"Nothing," Joshua said, making a mental note to speak to his wife later on about recurring themes in their lives. "Carry on."

'Well,' Anduin began carefully, determined to lie by omission since he doubted the Duke would take kindly to his plans for Rose, 'I wasn't particularly happy at home and, after glimpsing life as a human, I decided it would be better for me, especially because I wouldn't have to take the crown and I'm second in line.' He grimaced. 'Anyway, I went to a sea witch and traded my voice for legs and was told that if I fell in love and married the girl, I would remain a human forever, but if she married another, I would become the slave of the witch.'

"And if you don't fall in love at all?" Joshua asked, though he privately thought that would be a very poor fairy tale.

'Nothing happens, or so I hope.' Anduin smiled winningly at Joshua. 'However, I would really appreciate it if you kept my history to yourself; I'm trying my best to leave it behind.'

Joshua smiled back. "I know how you feel. Very well, your secret will not pass my lips…except to tell my wife, but that doesn't count. And now, if you don't mind, this conversation had tired me out. The metal rod was never meant to be used for this long and it's a rather exhausting magic to perform. So you'll have to revert back to your silence."

Anduin shrugged. "Don't worry," said Joshua with a yawn. "I'm sure you're still quite the ladies man."

Anduin chuckled softly; this man had his measure, alright. "Shall we return?" Anduin rose to his feet and allowed Joshua to lead him back to the study where his true love was.

When the two men entered the room, Diana and Rose both leapt to their feet. "Are you alright?" they asked Anduin in synchronization. Anduin laughed silently, then nodded his head.

"My father didn't scare you too much?" Diana asked worriedly.

Anduin shook his head and made a face that suggested he was far above such petty attempts at intimidation.

"He's really not a bad sort," Rose said to him. "Just a little overprotective."

With a niece as beautiful as you, Anduin thought, I'm not surprised.

"Come," said Diana, "We'll show you around and try to find some way to help you communicate." There was no point in querying her father about what had happened; he had a look on his face that suggested he would prove to be even more silent than the boy himself.

Anduin flashed a grin at her. She was going to be an ally in his conquest, he could tell. He knew little sisters and younger cousins, so long as they liked you, were the best way to learn what you needed and he planned to…not quite exploit her, but make full use of his resources. And, with a little help over the communication barrier, he and Rose would live happily ever after.

Diana's heart, just as she had predicted, melted. She didn't care where he came from; she cared about where he was going and, more importantly, whether she could keep him here long enough to "get to know him better". They set off on their tour of the castle, careful to avoid any of the butlers who would insist that they visit the unusual inverted vaulted ceilings in the hall of armor, an example of the late neo-classic baroque period. Joshua called to their retreating backs that they might want to visit the gardens and, as an afterthought, that the boy's name was Anduin.

"Anduin," Rose murmured. "I like the sound of that, it's so unusual."

"Are you named after someone?" Diana wondered.

Anduin nodded. Then the two girls held a quick conference and decided that Joshua did have a point, so they took Anduin to the gardens, where he got his first good look at the flower his beloved was named after.

"Well," Lizzie asked as soon as the rest of their children had been herded back to their lessons, where they belonged, "What have you discovered?"

"A very interesting young man," Joshua answered. "I used the truth rod to read his thoughts."

"Brilliant," Lizzie breathed.

"I know," Joshua replied, winking. Lizzie smacked his arm lightly. "All right, all right. Well, the short version is that he's named Anduin after an ally of his uncle, Duke Andrew Gilld." Lizzie trembled, but she knew that Andrew was long dead and no longer a threat to any of them, so she schooled her face to show nothing. Joshua slid his arms around her anyway and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. "He knows nothing about his namesake and is here to try and start life anew."

"Without a voice?" Lizzie asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, well that was sort of a caveat in his leaving."

"Oh?" Lizzie said with one eyebrow arched.

"According to him, he was a merman, second in line to the throne of King Triton. So he traded his-"

"Voice for legs and became human," Lizzie finished for Joshua, "I know the story. So who's his true love?"

"He said his deal was that he came up and, if he falls in love, then he can wed her to get his voice back and, if she marries another, he returns to the sea. Ergo, if he never falls in love, he just remains a mute human."

Lizzie shook her head. "I don't believe him."

"Me neither," Joshua answered, "but he was very careful with his thoughts, so I can't be too sure. If he was lying, it wasn't by saying anything untrue. He could have been misleading me, though."

"You believe the merman story, though?"

"Of course, why shouldn't I?"

"Well, it is rather ludicrous."

Joshua snickered. "I was witness to the treaty between Andrew and Triton, that part of the story is real and he is too young to have lived through it and remembered. And his name in the ancient language of wizardry is the same as Andrew's. He's telling the truth, all right." Lizzie conceded him that point. It was no odder than being married to a man who had the visage of a Beast until they were wed and being sister-in-law to the Beauty from the story.

"So what do we do with a transformed merman on the run from his heritage?"

"Help him fall in love with a fair maiden, get them married and send them off to live happily ever after."

"Sounds too simple," Lizzie mused, "It's a fairy tale so what's the catch?"

Joshua groaned. "Maybe not everything has to be as difficult as it was for Belle and me."

Lizzie rubbed his shoulder. "Keep dreaming, my love."

He laughed ruefully. "In the meantime, I'm starving. When's luncheon?"

"How does now sound?"

"Now sounds wonderful." They headed towards the kitchen; their discussion turning to the far more mundane plans for the beginnings of the summer season and where everyone was going to stay. Joshua left out the King's ominous words to him, he didn't want to frighten his wife unduly.

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – And the plot thickens. I think I might wind up with a love square before I'm done with this. Anyway, I hope you all liked this latest installment and, while it was tempting to wait longer in between posts because I like getting reviews and I tend to get more if I wait, I'm just too nice a person to keep you all in suspense. So here you are, another chapter. And there's a not-so-hidden BATB reference in here, good luck finding it. Onto the thank yous, this round is short, but c'est la vie.

Shortstef – Anduin's good at getting himself into where he wants to be, it's one of his many talents. Glad you liked the name, but I hope you still like it after this chapter, I might have tainted it. And the problems are beginning to surface. Thank you for the compliment, the devil is in the details, but it felt right to make Anduin shocked at the human world.

Anarea Rose – Anduin is surprisingly likeable, and don't worry, you'll find out soon what's happening between him and Rose.

So, I'm glad you all liked it and, just a warning, I have my usual twists and turns planned. Nothing is what it seems and your only guide is the story of The Little Mermaid. Just a warning. The characters are Disney-ish, but the plot might turn out more like the original since I hate the way the Disney version works out, although Anduin is MUCH more likeable than Ariel will ever be (grins). So he should survive. Also, on a side note, does anyone know where I can find the story of Donkeyskin? Much thanks if you know. Anyway, more soon, if I can keep this up!

Levana (Damian)


	10. Love Quadrangles

_**Chapter 10**_

A week passed far swifter than anyone would have liked. Anduin was doing a surprisingly good job of making friends with people and he, Rose and Diana spent most of their time together. Rose was warming to him, but he was not pleased that all he could elicit from her was the warm glow of friendship and not the fiery passion of love. All his focus was on seducing Rose and so he completely missed the sixteen year old hanging on to his every word. Diana adored him. She was the one who helped him devise a crude hand language so that they could communicate, she was the one who taught him to play chess to pass the time and Anduin was both profoundly grateful and very kind for her attentions. But that wasn't the same as reciprocating love, and she knew it. Diana hated being snubbed and hated it more because it was easy to understand what he saw in Rose instead of in her. But understanding doesn't heal any wounds.

Joshua and Lizzie spent most of their time deep in conversation with the entire household, trying to make sure the summer would run smoothly, even though they were both expecting disaster. Meetings between royalty and the Gilld family never went well and Joshua needed quite a bit of persuading to look at the glass as even half empty, for he was convinced he had already drained the cup of affliction to the dregs. Lizzie told him he was being melodramatic, something he freely admitted to, not that it made him grow up. They had a dreadful row the morning before everyone was scheduled to arrive which, while terrifying Anduin and Rose, served to put them both in a far better mood. As Diana explained, "They're only truly happy when they're fighting because they can call one another all these terrible things and then laugh about it afterwards." Rose sighed; she knew her aunt and uncle well, but she still didn't comprehend how they were happily married. Anduin, on the other hand, understood perfectly what Diana was talking about and made a mental note to teach Rose the merits of a good argument once they were married.

And so, the day finally came. Lizzie and Joshua sat in one of the numerous sitting rooms, tense and waiting. Diana had elected not to join them; she said she preferred to hide with Jonathan, Abigail and Anthony while they tried to train Gareth to fetch toys. Rose and Anduin went for a walk in the garden, though the former would have liked to stay and greet their royal visitors particularly a certain one of them. Anduin's sharp eyes noticed Rose's reaction when Prince Harry came up and was as happy to distract her as Joshua was letting him distract her.

"I don't believe we're doing this," Joshua groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Believe it already," Allisande said, sticking her head into the door. "They're here."

"They are?" Joshua yelped, leaping to his feet.

Allisande snickered and shared a long suffering look with Lizzie. "Well, the Duke of Gloucester is here along with the Earl of Warwickshire."

"It starts," Lizzie murmured, yanking on Joshua's tailcoat to drag him back into his seat. He sank back down, glaring at Allisande.

"You're not funny," he told her, though Lizzie privately disagreed. "Very well, show them in."

The day went on like that, with the numerous lords and ladies coming to visit, greeting their hosts and going up to their room to dress for dinner. Joshua had long since given up trying to make conversation and even Lizzie's temper, which had not been sorely tried by the women of the house, was kept on a very short leash. So by the time the Prince of Wales arrived, neither the Duke nor the Duchess were exactly happy to see him.

"His Majesty, Henry, Prince of Wales, Duke of…" Lizzie sighed and ignored the rest of the titles, because she honestly couldn't care less.

"Welcome," she said as soon as the butler finished his introduction and Harry had made his bows. "Welcome to our home."

"Thank you for offering your lovely home to us," he replied, taking Lizzie's hand and kissing it gallantly.

"Some choice we had," Joshua muttered. Harry turned to look at him and he just smiled like a wolf, eyeing dinner.

"Ignore him," Lizzie said softly, catching the worried Prince's eye. "We're very glad to have you and all your relations here." The sarcasm went right over his head and straight to Joshua's ear.

"Thank you… now where is your daughter?"

"She's walking in the…" Joshua stopped as he heard the question again. "Wait, my daughter?"

"Yes, the Lady Diana, your daughter."

Joshua turned to Lizzie who stared back at him, equally puzzled. "She's helping take care of her younger siblings, but will be joining us at dinner."

"Very well," Harry replied, looking worried and Joshua got the distinct impression that, had it not been inappropriate, the young prince would have been biting his nails. "I shall see you at dinner then."

"We look forward to it," Lizzie answered. Harry bowed one last time before being led out of the room by one of the pages.

"What was that about?" Joshua growled, glaring at the door, as if it had something to do with things.

"What?"

"Diana."

Lizzie sighed. "He was probably just being polite, Joshua. It wouldn't kill you to do the same."

"I was being polite!" Joshua protested. "I didn't throttle the brat."

"Joshua, love, had you throttled the brat, you would have been dead and that would have ruined my entire weekend." She grinned at him and he couldn't help but smile back. "Dare I ask why you hate the royals so much?"

Joshua shrugged. "No reason." Lizzie raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?"

"That means you're not getting an answer."

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "I would never have guessed."

"His Majesty, King Henry the Tenth of England…" Lizzie and Joshua shared a resigned look.

Please, Lizzie thought to herself, Please Joshua, don't do anything stupid.

"You majesty," Joshua murmured, rising to his feet and bowing as Lizzie did the same, except with a deferential curtsey.

"Joshua," said the King, acknowledging him, "Elizabeth. How good to see you again."

"I trust your travels were pleasant," Joshua said through gritted teeth.

"They weren't, but the thought of your household sustained me in dark hours."

"Well then, I'm sure you're more than anxious to benefit from the numerous amenities that the castle offers that cannot be found on the road," Lizzie said, trying to get rid of the King as fast as she could.

"Yes, I must admit, I am quite anxious to partake of the pleasures that only Gilld Hall can provide me with."

Joshua very nearly saw red. You had better not go near my wife, he thought angrily, his eyes narrowed to slits as he stared at the King. "Then I see no reason for you to stay in here," Joshua growled.

"Do you wish to be shot of me quite so swiftly?" the King asked darkly.

"We would like nothing more than to have you stay," Lizzie said soothingly. "But the needs of the king come before our own and we would not like to impinge upon your time." The King looked about to speak. "No, there's no need to be polite, I know that you would only be remaining to try and make us feel better, and I could not bear that."

The King bowed, gracefully accepting defeat. "When a lady entreats, there is naught I can do to protest." He kissed Lizzie's hand and Joshua bowed to him before he left the room.

Joshua turned to Lizzie. "That was very well manipulated," he said softly. "I didn't know you were so devious."

"Be grateful I've never tried it on you," she retorted.

"Believe me, I am," he answered.

Another hour passed and, finally, all the guests had arrived and the hosts rose to dress for dinner.

Joshua sat on the ottoman in Lizzie's room, dressed in his formal suit and tailcoat. She was in the room nest door, attiring herself in her gown with the help of two maids.

"Lizzie," he called through the door.

"Now what?" she replied with a groan

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked.

"No," she answered. "This entire season is a terrible idea for everyone except his royal highness and I dread to think what's going to happen. Can we finish this later, I'm trying to have my hair done?"

"Women," Joshua muttered, sitting with his hands on his chin and sulking. When Lizzie finally emerged, however, he was in a much better mood.

"You look ravishing," he breathed, embracing her and kissing her forehead in between her hair and the ducal coronet.

"Your Grace, are you suggesting something?" she asked, pressing her lips to his neck.

"Oh, I wish," he replied. "Thank you for bearing with me, I know I've been abominable the past week."

"Love, what were my other choices?"

"There's always the King, he'd take you in a moment."

"Yes, but I wouldn't let him in a thousand years…and you were fishing for that compliment." Joshua grinned and she laid her head on his shoulder. "I love you, Joshua. Now lets be off before we need to be fetched to our own dinner."

They were not the first ones down, though they were by no means last. Diana and Rose entered together, eyes roving anxiously over the assembled guests.

"Any sign of him?" Rose asked softly.

"No," Diana answered, looking for the crown of the Prince of Wales, yet seeing nothing.

"I was sure he'd be here," Rose murmured. "Could it be he hasn't come yet?"

"Perhaps he was delayed," Diana suggested. "I doubt he'd miss a chance to spend time with you." She had been regaled with Rose's first meeting with Harry numerous times...basically every time Anduin wasn't around to object. Rose thought he roots of his dislike were because he was male and therefore didn't care much for romance, Diana knew perfectly well what the reason was and she was already cooking up nefarious plots to bring her cousin and the prince together despite what her father grumbled about, leaving Anduin all to her.

"Lady Diana," said a voice from her shoulder. Diana whirled around and found herself staring at a shoulder covered in a lovely silk sash with numerous adornments on them. Not a student of heraldry, Diana knew enough to identify the most prominent one even before looking up into the man's face.

"Your Highness," she breathed, curtsying deeply before the Prince of Wales.

"It's a pleasure to meet you at last," he said, taking her gloved hand in his own and kissing it.

"The feeling is mutual," Diana replied. "How was your journey?"

"Well rewarded by the sight of your fair form," he answered and Diana blushed slightly. Rose turned the color of her namesake as Harry offered Diana his arm and led her off to the table.

That slimy little, she thought to herself as her eyes narrowed and jealousy flared up in her heart. What does he see in her? The thought was cruel and Rose knew it, but losing Harry to her younger cousin, of all people, was galling. He had been so sweet and shy when they had first met. And all this time, he had merely been plotting to seduce Diana. "Good," she muttered. "They probably deserve each other."

And when Anduin came to offer her his arm, Rose had no scruples taking it and even went so far as to kiss his cheek when they sat down. Aduin was delirious with happiness. Diana was not as pleased, to say the least.

Lizzie, who was sitting a few seats down from the adolescent drama, was doing her best not to laugh. Although, to be fair, she could sympathize with Diana more than Rose and not just because the former was her daughter. Joshua was mercifully distracted by a conversation with the King. They were arguing over fishing rights, something Joshua had gleaned quite a little bit about from conversing with Anduin via the mind reader. The King seemed surprisingly uninformed and boring. He was far more subdued than usual and was treating Joshua with something akin to courtesy, which made Duke Gilld practically speechless.

The only people at the high table who seemed to be remotely enjoying themselves were the few children who were honored enough to sit there, one of whom had had the foresight to smuggle her older brother's new puppy in under her skirts and Gareth was keeping them all vastly entertained.

The evening, like all good dinners, drew to a close with dancing. Joshua and Lizzie were all too pleased that they had reached an age when the only ones they needed to dance with were each other and therefore weren't required to dance at all. They sat near the king, who eyed the dance floor longingly, yet did not stir from his throne. Diana was coerced into dancing with almost all the eligible bachelors of the evening, along with Rose who actually danced with every single one of them. Diana did not envy her the blisters on her feet, nor did Rose envy Diana the bruises she would sport from Henry's horrible dancing. And so, it was safe to say that a miserable evening was had by all except three people. Anduin was charmed and delighted by the sudden effect he was having on Rose, for she danced with him almost as often as the Prince danced with the Lady Diana and the latter didn't have the heart to explain his beloved's motives to him. The King was thrilled with the way that Joshua had fallen for his little scheme and seemed utterly bewildered by it. And Lizzie, who contrived to remain on the side the entire time, was formulating her opinions as to how the rest of the summer would turn out. She was almost exactly right…until the events of the second week in August happened.

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – Cliffhangers have suddenly become popular on this site, haven't they? (shortstef…) So, I hope you all enjoyed this latest installment. I know I'm giving the summer short shrift, it's because not much happens. I'll probably give you a summary next chapter, but unless one can write as well as Jane Austen (and I can't), there's no point in trying to delineate a comedy of manners, so I won't. There's more than enough to do with evil plots, dastardly kings and a kidnapping…but I didn't give that away. Anyway, on to the reviews! And I accept all apologies from people who don't have time between the chapters, my summer job starts tomorrow and you'll have at least a week between updates as soon as that happens.

Lesalanna – thanks. It was just too easy if he could write English too, but fairy tale characters have to communicate somehow. I think Diana might try and teach him to write like them eventually. And Gareth may be a Maxian character but he's also there to set the stage for something later on and not necessarily in this story. And don't worry, I like my male characters too much, Anduin won't die. And thanks for the tip.

Shortstef – Crafty Little Storyteller...hmm. I like it! Love shapes are good, but I think I might have to revamp the square because mine's starting to look more like a pentagon. Grr, characters having ideas of their own and other such nonsense. Other guy has appeared and the girls are going to get catty. Silly things. Ariel always annoyed everyone, she's a little brat and has no redeeming qualities whatsoever (sorry, you got me on an old rant here) And I love you to pieces for the link, it was just what I needed. I have read Deerskin, it was very good. I read it first when I was 11 and very naïve, a certain bit of it went RIGHT over my head that time. I read it again when I was older and was like "Oh!". But it was a great book. Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors ever and its probably true that had I never read her work, I wouldn't be writing this story. And I think I might have to dedicate my next story to you…I'm trying to decide whether to write a fairy tale for each Gilld child or just end it after this one, but you lovely people can review at the end of this story and tell me. Anyway, if I do, I think Jonathan is going to be the good prince in Donkeyskin. But we'll see. So with that teaser for you, I'm glad you liked this chapter and congrats on the BA.

Anarea Rose – But suspense is what I'm good at! Don't worry, I'll do my best. Glad you liked my geometric love ideas.

So that's all for this round. Farewell, my lovely readers and I will, hopefully, hear from you all again soon.

Levana (Damian)


	11. A Knight in Filthy Armor

_**Chapter 11**_

Five weeks passed with a speed that Joshua found alarming. Every day felt like a month and, after five weeks, he felt like he was at least three years older than he had been. And there were two weeks left before he would be shot of the whole lot of them. His daughter and niece weren't speaking to one another and the number of intrigues, secret meetings and licentiousness going on was astounding, even to a man who grew up with Andrew Gilld as a role model. He was more worried about his daughter though. It had been bad when the Prince had been paying court to Rose, but she would have made a good Queen and at least she could have stood that family. Diana was too hot tempered to put up with the King and the thought of a magical Queen was too awful to contemplate. He also knew that the Prince didn't love her, he could see it in his eyes. And he would never let her be tricked into a loveless marriage.

Diana, on the other hand, was not so sure about Harry's intentions. He was smart, suave, a gentleman in every respect with an easy ability to compliment and a talent for making a girl feel loved. He had a dry wit that reminded her of her father's in a truly bad mood and she liked spending time with him, really she did. But he had learned the hard way that any insult directed at Anduin was a bad move.

Rose, after five weeks, was still furious. She didn't want to admit to herself that she was settling for Anduin because she couldn't get Harry, but that was what she was doing. Her real motive was to get Diana back, by stealing a man she knew Diana adored. And it was working, but it didn't make anything better and Rose knew it. She also knew that she was behaving like an infantile brat, but the memory of those twelve hours she spent walking on the beach with Harry just wouldn't leave her alone.

Anduin had become, in just a month, lord of the dance and everyone's favorite man. It was just an innate talent of his; he was tall, good looking and he knew the power of his smile. He also learned that girls loved being listened to and, if you couldn't talk, they couldn't quiz you on what they said, so all he had to do was stand around, look sympathetic and pat their hands tenderly when they were done. But it made things difficult, for he tried to find time alone with Rose and there was always someone else around, vying for his silent attention. He even missed Diana's presence, which came as a shock to him, since he hadn't appreciated it when she was there. He appreciated the intelligent conversation now and there were times when he would have preferred her to all the fairest maidens in the lands.

Lizzie smiled grimly as she watched life play out before her. It wasn't hard to see that Diana was trying to fall in love with the Prince so that she would be satisfied with her second choice. Lizzie knew her daughter would much prefer Anduin's dry, sarcastic hand motions to the Prince's witty repartees and cruelly funny observations. She also knew that Joshua would do anything rather than have the King as an in-law and Lizzie wondered if it would be worth suggesting that he lock her in a tower and make her grow her hair so he could climb up and bring her food. So the chances of the Princes suit being accepted were slim and that gave her some comfort, allowing her to spend more time worrying about the king, who was ill with something or other. He remained holed up in his rooms and the only ones who ever entered there were the servants either to bring him food or to entertain him. Joshua had made it perfectly clear that, while they were responsible for themselves, anyone who got with child out of wedlock would be dismissed from his service unless they had a very good excuse. But this behavior was not at all what she had been led to believe he would behave like. Joshua was mystified as well and his only answer was "Perhaps he is truly sick", though he said in the same tone as he would have said 'Perhaps my father was a saint".

And so the days passed. Until one Monday morning, the entire world was flung upside down. Diana had offered to take Gareth for a walk, since Jonathan was suffering under the weight of multiplication work and didn't have the time to spare. She snapped a lead rope onto him and took him out towards the lawns in back of the castle since Jonathan had learned the hard way that Gareth was not well behaved enough to take into the garden. She had been wondering around for a good fifteen minutes when, while Gareth went off to smell a perfectly ordinary looking tree, the Prince arrived.

"Hello, my darling Diana," he said, pressing his lips to her cheek.

Hello, horrible Harry, she thought in reply, but bit her tongue to keep from saying it. She hated him when he was in these moods.

"How do you fare on this fine summer morn?"

"Quite well, and yourself?"

He smiled and sat down. "Equally well. I noticed you reading yesterday; what was the book that so engrossed your interest?"

"The Brothers Grimm," Diana answered shortly.

"Fairy tales," the Prince exclaimed. "Why, Diana, how quaint!"

Quaint, she sulked. Why not just call me a child and get it over with? "Don't judge a book by its author," she chided him. "You might find these 'fairy tales' to be quite good."

"I don't doubt that they are. Tell me Diana, do you believe in happily ever after?" The warning bells went off in her head at hearing those words. It was obvious where he was going with this.

"I'm not yet in a position to make that decision not having experienced one for myself." Diana hated being polite all the time, it grated on her nerves. She wanted to go in and find Anduin, he had promised to play chess with her when she came back and he would undoubtedly come up with some new and creative way to cheat at the game.

"Would you like to?" he asked softly, reaching out to touch her hair. Diana jerked away.

"Someday, yes."

"What's wrong with today?"

What's right with today? Diana thought. Why did that insufferable git have to do this to her right now? "I have to finish walking the dog," Diana answered, figuring it was suitably inane.

"The dog can walk itself," the Prince said irritably. "I am suffering in the fiery furnace of love and all you can think about is that mutt."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Diana said as kindly as she could, though she still sounded fed up and exasperated. "Even if we were to be married today, we would need my father's permission. Perhaps, if you went to speak to him now, we could meet after I've returned the dog to the house and discuss it."

Harry sighed dramatically. "I would have thought that a woman so compassionate toward a fairy tale prince would have more pity for me. Don't you see? We are a pair of star crossed lovers, Diana. A modern Romeo and Juliet!"

You're as mad as Hamlet. Diana sighed, not daring to voice her inner thoughts.

"We must elope!" continued the Prince. "At once!"

"What?" Diana shouted. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Yes!" he shouted dramatically, wrenching Gareth's leash out of her hands. "I am mad with love for you. Come with me, Diana." He clutched her wrists and smiled at her. Diana shuddered.

"Never," she answered, feeling a bit foolish. She felt much worse a few moments later when the ground began to quake. She used the tremors to try and break free from her captor, but he stood his ground. He had obviously been expecting something like this and knew just how to react. He pulled Diana into his arms and she fell against him, her meager strength unable to resist that of gravity's. They toppled forward into the abyss and the ground closed up over their heads as if it had never opened to begin with.

Diana screamed as she fell, not really knowing what else to do. She hated this helpless damsel in distress sort of routine, it had always bothered her in her mother's fairy tales. But someone seemed to have misread the storyline this time, since she was being abducted by the handsome prince, not being saved by him.

"You imbecilic bastard," Diana yelled, not caring that she sounded like a fishwife. Her mother had told her she was never to use that word except in extenuating circumstances and this definitely qualified. "What were you thinking?"

"What?" asked the Prince, his voice low and amused. "You didn't like being swept off your feet?"

"Not particularly, no," Diana answered. A small part of her mind was wondering how she was so calm when she was plummeting to either certain death or a lifetime with Harry. The latter gave her the chills, but the former just seemed too far away to even worry about.

"I seem to have found myself a reluctant princess," he murmured.

"You know, I'm not the one with regal heritage," Diana quipped. "That would be Rose…my cousin… the one you rescued!"

"She was tolerable," he said with a shrug. "But not beautiful enough to tempt the likes of me." Diana didn't waste time wondering how one could shrug in midair.

"You slimy-" she began, but he clapped a hand over her mouth.

"I have had quite enough of this strong woman routine," he said. "For all our sakes, you are a damsel in distress and I would much prefer if you could fall into a dead faint."

"I thought you were mad with love for me," Diana accused, hurt in some strange inexplicable way. She didn't want him to love her but the way he spoke, he made her sound as if she was…unlovable. Diana shook her head and made herself forget his words, not to mention the easy answer they gave to why another man never seemed to see her.

"I was mad with love, true," said the Prince, "but- ahh!" he said as the world blinked out of existence for a moment. "Here we are." Diana opened her eyes, which had been shut when the universe disappeared, for the strange nothingness was something she couldn't bear to look at. They were in a strange room with transparent, circular walls that made her feel like she was inside a cylinder. Around them was the oddest sight she had ever seen.

"We can't be…" she began, but trailed off. It was just too impossible.

The Prince laughed. "Oh, but we can. Little Diana, let me fill you in on my plan."

Gareth stared at the place where his master's sister had just been in disbelief. Humans didn't just fall into the ground like that. It didn't happen. He was a young puppy and didn't really know how to handle situations like this, he had barely even learned that table food wasn't _his_ food. But he was a good dog, so he did the only thing he could do. He ran into the house, barking as loud as he could.

When Jonathan heard his dog's voice, he couldn't help himself and craned his neck to try and spot the animal. A moment later, Gareth came careening into the room.

"Quiet that animal!" Jonathan's tutor shouted irritably.

"Something's wrong!" Jonathan shouted back, knowing somehow that it was true. The man snorted, but Jonathan, like every other member of his family, never listened to authority, so he ran to the dog and knelt down before the animal.

"What's wrong, boy?" he asked, scratching the puppy's ears. "Where's Diana? She said she'd keep her eye on you?" There was a sense of wrongness emanating from the animal, Jonathan could feel it. He stroked the trembling beast.

"Don't worry," Jonathan said affectionately. "My father'll know what to do."

"You are not going to take that animal to your fath-" his tutor said. But Jonathan was already out the door.

He reached his father's private office and started hammering on the door.

Lizzie, who was curled up on Joshua's lap inside the office, groaned. "What do they want from us now?"

"Our presence, undoubtedly," Joshua replied, kissing her cheek. "Why do you ask?"

"Shall we open the door?"

"And lose our few moments alone?" he retorted. They sighed in unison and, with a wave of Lizzie's hand, the door swung open.

Jonathan came flying into the room. "Something terrible has happened!"

Lizzie and Joshua shared a resigned grin. "And what would that be?"

"Gareth knows," Jonathan answered. "I can tell. I think something has happened to Diana!"

Joshua muttered something under his breath. "Sweetheart," Lizzie said comfortingly. "Diana's fine, I'm sure she's fine."

"Then why would she leave Gareth?" he asked, tears sneaking into the corner of his eyes.

"I have an idea," said Joshua. "Why don't we look for her in the mirror, okay?"

Jonathan nodded, trying not to sniffle. Joshua fetched him the mirror and, in a clear voice, he asked to see his sister. They all received a nasty shock when they found out that the magical glass couldn't locate her.

"I told you so!" said Jonathan, bursting into tears. Joshua drew his son into a comforting hug, but he was sick with worry in his heart. He and Lizzie looked at one another, identical looks on their faces. What could have happened to their daughter?

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – I know this took forever, I'm sorry. I'm working at a sleepaway camp as a lifeguard/counselor for 14 year old girls and have no time. So this isn't edited and there are no individual thank yous. You've all been amazing, thanks for reviewing and I hope I'll have some more for you soon. I know this was short.

Levana (Damian)


	12. Torn Seams, or So They Seem

_**Chapter 12**_

Joshua paced his office, his hands clenched by his side. Jonathan watched him with anxious eyes, reassured since his father had promised him that Diana would be okay, but scared nonetheless. He wanted to know what had happened to her, what could make someone disappear so fully that not even the magic mirror could find them. He rubbed Gareth's ears nervously, waiting for the verdict from his father as to how they would proceed.

Lizzie sat curled up on the couch, one hand resting on her son's shoulder while the other tapped restlessly at the armrest. She could guess her husband's thoughts at the moment and she doubted that they would be at all useful. Diana was their eldest and he looked at her as if she was truly his own daughter. And, like all fathers, he was fiercely overprotective of his little girl.

There was a knock on the door and Joshua jumped about a mile. Lizzie sighed. "Something tells me this isn't going to be good news," she muttered.

"How much worse can it get?" Joshua growled through clenched teeth.

Rose walked into the room, closely followed by her admirer. "Have you seen Harry anywhere?" she asked, before actually looking around the room at her aunt and uncle's expressions. "What happened? Is everyone all right?"

"I hope," Lizzie answered her shortly. "Joshua, could he possibly…" she trailed off. Joshua divined her thoughts and grabbed the mirror.

"Show me the Prince," Joshua hissed. The mirror remained blank, as Joshua had presumed it would. "Damn it," he swore, slamming the artifact down on to the table.

"Don't!" Lizzie started to yell, but it was too late. The mirror hit the wood with a resounding crash that made Joshua take a step back.

"You idiot!" Lizzie shouted, lunging to her feet. "What kind of moronic thing was that to do?"

"I'm sorry!" Joshua shouted back, "I'm just a little upset right now!"

"I am too, but I haven't gone off and snapped your wand over my knee yet, have I?"

"Lizzie, I said I was sorry! I wasn't thinking."

"That much was evident. Clean it up, Joshua, I'm going to need to remake it in case Diana appears in it again."

Joshua dropped to his knees, knowing better than to continue yelling at his wife. He hated to admit it, but she was right this time. Breaking the mirror was an absolutely imbecilic thing to do, more so because Rose, Anduin and above all Jonathan were still in the room. He shut his eyes for a moment, then began to carefully collect the sharp shards of glass that twinkled on the floor and seemed to mock him with their inconsistent sparkle.

Lizzie pushed a loose strand of hair out of her eyes and tried not to say anything else to Joshua. He had wisely decided to keep quiet, leaving her with very little else to say.

"What happened?" Rose asked, watching her relatives out of frightened eyes. Anduin was speechless, something he had gotten used to by now, but even had he had his voice, he couldn't have said anything.

"Diana's missing," Jonathan said softly. Rose clapped her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide.

"What happened?" she breathed, reaching unconsciously to take Anduin's hand for comfort. He didn't even notice; his gaze was fixed on Jonathan as he waited for details.

"I don't know," Jonathan answered, looking like he was about to cry. "She said she was taking Gareth for a walk, but then Gareth came back alone and…and…"

"Hush," Rose murmured, stroking her little cousin's head. "Your Mama and Papa will make it better, don't worry."

Lizzie and Joshua looked up at one another right then, identical looks of horror on their faces. It was very disconcerting to realize that everyone assumed you could right all the wrongs and wonder yourself whether or not you really could.

Anduin saw the glance that passed between the couple and shivered. After living in Gilld Hall long enough, you became convinced that Joshua and Lizzie were utterly indomitable. If they appeared any other way, it was disturbing. Almost as disturbing as that disgusting Prince Harry abducting his Diana. He felt like someone had raised a hand to one of his little sisters and it was his duty to defend her. He would get that smug, snide bastard where it hurts. All he needed to do was figure out how. Anduin was struck by a sudden brain wave.

He went up to Lizzie and attempted to get her attention. After hopping up and down and waving for a few moments as she stared distractedly into space, he was finally able to attract her eye. He made the sign they had established was "King".

"Brilliant!" Lizzie exclaimed. "Joshua, did you hear what Anduin just said?" Joshua turned to her and raised one sarcastic eyebrow. "You know what I meant," she said with an apologetic grin towards Anduin, who was used to this sort of thing by now.

"Tell me, Lizzie, what did he just 'say'?"

"Why don't we ask the King concerning the whereabouts of our children.?" Lizzie retorted.

Joshua practically smacked his forehead. "How stupid of me not to have thought of that! Let's go!" And he raced out of the room.

I think I liked Lizzie's response better, Anduin thought as he allowed himself to be left in charge of Rose and Jonathan. He sat next to Rose, rubbing her back gently, though his mind was elsewhere. Diana hadn't seemed happy recently and he had registered that time and time again, yet he had simply never bothered to try and help her. He had never liked the attention she was getting from Harry, but he had never actually done anything about it.

Idiot, he thought miserably. I could have done something and I didn't. I had been so busy chasing Rose… He looked down at the girl by his side. She was still the most exquisite human being he had ever met, but lately he had been wondering if there was something missing. He remembered the feeling that stirred his soul when he had first seen her, the raw passion and vitality that shone through as she faced his uncle that day on the boat. That was gone now; he had waited and waited for it, but it had disappeared as if it had never been. He sighed and caressed her hair, letting her relax next to him. He began to wonder if what he had told Joshua was true; what would happen if he never fell in love at all? Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. There were worse things, after all, than being a mute in the household of Duke Gilld.

Joshua had been racing down the halls of his castle for a good three minutes before his wife finally convinced him that running like a hellion was not going to make their case any better. They stormed down the corridors side by side, looking like not even Satan himself could stop their advance. They were a formidable couple, Joshua mused, sparing an appreciative glance at his lovely wife. He just hoped they were formidable enough.

Joshua rapped on the door to the King's chambers. "Open up!" he demanded.

"Who goes there?" called one of the guards from inside.

"The Duke and Duchess Gilld," Joshua answered and used the magic in the castle to cause the doors to swing open. The guards stepped back in surprise. "Please tell his majesty that he has visitors," Joshua said pleasantly, though the underlying tone was anything but.

A few minutes later, by which time Joshua had nearly chewed off all his fingernails and Lizzie had practically written a sonata for finger-tapping, his majesty finally emerged. He looked tired and disheveled, not at all like his usual immaculate self. But then, the king had been behaving very oddly ever since the beginning of the summer, so perhaps this latest wasn't so odd after all.

"Where is my daughter?" Joshua demanded. He was half an inch away from grabbing his sovereign lord by the man's lapels and only his wife's restraining hand kept him from actually doing so.

"I can't tell you," said the King softly, refusing to meet Joshua's eyes.

"Can't tell me?" Joshua asked icily.

The King nodded. "Believe me Joshua, if I could I would. But he swore me to secrecy."  
"Who?" Joshua barked.

"My son," the King answered, the words seeming to stick in his throat.

"So he did kidnap Diana," Lizzie murmured. The King kept quiet, though it was a silence that spoke volumes.

"You foul, treacherous-" Joshua began, his hands aching to wrap around a certain regal neck. The King stood still, just staring at his vassal. Joshua stopped, quelled by the thought of what hurting the king could do to his Diana.

"Where is she?" Lizzie asked, her voice quiet, yet dangerous.

"I can't tell you," the King answered, once again, his eyes downcast. Joshua watched him in contempt. One of the traits that seemed to permeate the Gilld line was an absolute distaste for weakness and King Henry was truly acting like a cowed lord and not like the ruler that he had so often shown himself to be. Something was definitely rotten in the state of England.

"Why not?" Lizzie continued, determined to milk this interview for all it was worth, because if the King was truly answerable to his son, he would undoubtedly close his mouth after today. Unless he was merely misleading them into thinking he was being used, in which case he was a far better actor than Lizzie would ever have given him credit for.

"I swore an oath," he answered, swallowing a few times before the words came out. Joshua and Lizzie looked at one another. The tone he used implied a wizard's oath and that would be pretty much unbreakable, unless they had three months to spare, which they didn't.

"Can you take us to my daughter and your son?" Joshua hissed. The King shook his head, though he gazed at Joshua with pleading eyes as he said so. Joshua caught Lizzie's eye and jerked his head towards the door. She nodded and Joshua excused the two of them for a moment.

"That's not the King," was the first thing Joshua said.

"I know, I've never seen him act like this before," Lizzie agreed.

"That's not what I meant," Joshua answered shortly. And he quickly told his wife of the suspicions that had been forming in his mind. By the time he was finished, her hand was clapped over her mouth and she was staring at Joshua in utter shock.

"Is that possible?" she murmured softly.

"Think of it," he answered. "He pays a wizard to make a simulacrum of his self, leaves it here, and disappears with our daughter."

"But why?" Lizzie asked, the fear and misery beginning to emerge in her voice as Joshua drew her into his arms. "Why Diana?"

* * *

"I don't understand," Diana said to the Prince. "Why have you brought me here? Is this place real?" She waved her arms at the underwater wonderland unfolding before her eyes. They were far beneath the waves, surrounded by clear blue waters and myriads of brightly colored fish. In the distance stood a coral reef that almost seemed to be a castle; the numerous turrets and ramparts made up of all the tiny little animals. 

"It's real," Harry answered, "And it pales compared to your beauty."

Diana rolled her eyes. "Look," she said, turning to face him. "I know you don't adore me and I loathe you with every fiber of my being. So please forget the flatteries and speak to me like a human being."

"But you're a woman," Harry protested, smiling lazily.

"I think I'll turn you into a flea," Diana mused. "A harmless little flea. And I'll stuff you inside that little box in the corner and smash you with a mallet."

"Quite creative, aren't we?" he said with a laugh. "Tell me, do you get that from your mother, father or both?"

"Both," Diana answered, upset that he had brought up her parents, for she was suddenly very homesick. What would they think when they found her missing? Of course they would come and look for her, but would they even know where to look. She tried not cry; she had been so strong up until this point, it would be terrible to break down now.

"Yes, your father always did have some very inventive tortures," Harry murmured.

Diana laughed outright. "My father? Torture? Have you lost your mind?"

Harry laughed. "No, I haven't. Poor Diana, it must be hard having been lied to all your life."

"What are you talking about?" Diana demanded, her pulse quickening.

"No, I'm not here to answer your questions," said Harry. "But I know someone else who is." He pointed out of the little air bubble they were in and Diana's jaw dropped as she saw the most magnificent creature in the world approach. He was massively tall, with a broad chest and arms like clubs. His face was not classically beautiful, but that only served to make it all the more striking. His long, white beard hung under two startlingly pale eyes that seemed utterly devoid of color. His human body ended at the navel and, from there on, a marvelous set of fins grew, iridescent green and shining like emeralds. He wore a crown of pearls on his head and held a trident in his left hand.

"May I introduce King Triton, Lord of the Seven Seas, Prince of all the Oceans and Lord Regent of all Water." Harry grinned wolfishly as Diana could not take her eyes off the approaching figure. "He will have the answers that you seek."

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – Yeah, yeah, I'm mean. I know it. But the time has come for Diana to find out about her heritage. And the royal family is going to get exactly what they each deserve, I promise. The plot twists begin here and the revealment of nefarious plots has only begun. The good guys may seem bad and nothing about sides has been settled on yet. SO stay tuned. This chapter is dedicated to two new reviewers FutureFamousMovieDirector and Anonymous, since I love new reviews almost as much as old ones. Once again, I would love to thank you all personally for your reviews, they are utterly wonderful, but I'm in my camp computer room…you know what, I'll do this quickly. Hang on!

Anarea Rose – I am not trying to make anyone lose their mind. Well, not really. But cliffhangers make me more anxious to write the next bit, so I get things out faster. Plus I get more reviews. So it's a win win situation and only a few days of torture for you.

Short stef – BASTIAN KISS? Oh, I want one! And Harry is a confusing character. You'll find out more though, never fear. There was more Anduin in this one, so I hope it makes you feel better. Every so often, I have to remind myself that the story really isn't just about Joshua and Lizzie anymore. Oh well. And I want more Bastian (totally irrelevant, but needed to be articulated).

Lynandreth – Aww, how sweet. Thank you for appreciating the chapters. And here's an update, although I'm not sure if it's moved you closer to the middle of the seat or just shifted to a different edge.

FutureFamousMovieDirector – Hi! Welcome to the review club. I have some serious plans for these guys, so hang on. I just love nasty evil plans (it's some sort of displacement for what I would like to torture my campers with).

Soofija – It was short, but this one should be back to normal length. I was trying to tell the falling from Diana's perspective, at the expense of clarity, but their destination was revealed in this chapter, so that might have helped. Glad you got it in the end though…glad you liked the whole thing, come to think of it.

Anonymous – Three days? Holy cow, how did you survive? I'm glad you liked them so much and, don't worry, the cliffhangers won't stop. Nor will the stories at this rate, since the idea to do a fairy tale for each member of the Gilld family is becoming more and more appealing.

So that's all for tonight, my friends. Thank you all for your kind words, but I have to go now because I'm still sitting in a wet bathing suit (occupational hazard of lifeguarding) and I accidentally fell asleep in the sun so my stomach is a lovely shade of tomato red. On to the aloe cream and more updates soon!

Levana (Damian)


	13. A Villain Found

_**Chapter 13**_

Joshua stared out his window, simply waiting for Lizzie to return to his study. Desperate though he was to leave and find his daughter; he didn't want to leave now. Specifically, he didn't want to leave Lizzie alone. True, she did have an entire castle full of nobility to help her, but after _that night_, seventeen long years ago, he couldn't help but be a little over protective of the woman he loved so very much. Lizzie was with Rose right now, trying to dissuade the stubborn princess from following him and the King. Joshua was supposed to be doing the same with Anduin, but one look at the young mute's face told him that he would have better luck telling his own head not to come. And Joshua had to admit, he did want more company than just what a simulacrum could provide.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. Anduin noticed the gesture and put a sympathetic hand on Joshua's shoulder.

"You don't have to come, you know," Joshua said rather half heartedly, since he had promised his wife to try. Anduin shrugged, as if to say 'I know.' Joshua let it drop. Anduin would be a valuable addition to their party, for Joshua had seen him do magic, albeit surreptitiously, and he knew the young merman was quite good. Besides, he thought morbidly, he's bound not to talk even if tortured.

But there were other problems occupying Joshua's mind. It was obvious to him that the King was not himself, but he couldn't figure out how Henry had created such a good facsimile. The royal family had consciously avoided marrying any known mages, so it couldn't have been the King himself who had done it. And though the wizards had no real hierarchy, he couldn't believe that the five or six other mages with these abilities wouldn't at least inform one another that Henry was up to something, again. So who could he have gone to in order to create this spell?

"Well," Joshua said, starting to speak out loud, "He might have gone to another country to get it done. But they would never have kept it secret, this is too precious even to share with our allies. It must be someone who has a very good reason for helping the King, not to mention someone who is answerable to no one, for two men can never keep a secret."

Anduin's eyes went wide. He remembered what his uncle had said long ago about being allied to England. Perhaps he had helped kidnap Diana. Anduin turned towards Joshua to tug on his sleeve, but the latter was distracted when his wife, niece and liege lord entered the room. The King, so to speak, had taken Rose's hand and was guiding her courteously. Lizzie had strode on ahead.

"Any luck?" she asked, motioning to Anduin.

"No, you?" he replied. She shook her head. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "Are you sure you can't come?" he asked softly.

"I won't be any safer there," she pointed out.

"I know," he replied. "But I'll be there."

"Someone needs to stay home and fix the mirror," she answered. "I'm sorry Joshua, but you know I'm the only one with Diana's memories and she made the mirror."

"I know," he repeated. "But-"

"I'll be fine," she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Now go rescue your daughter."

"All right," he said, strengthening his resolve. "I can do this. Your majesty," he said sarcastically as he turned to the King, "Where do we begin?"

The king stared at him. "I can't tell you," he said softly.

Anduin tapped Joshua on the shoulder before the latter could launch into a tirade and mouthed 'I can.'

Joshua stared at him, openmouthed. "How?" he spluttered. Anduin grabbed a sheet of paper and, with a pang of remorse, began to write the answer in shaky letters. He could barely write and the little he could do was all due to Diana's patience and encouragement.

_The ocean,_ it said_ with my uncle._

Joshua's jaw practically hit the floor. "Your Uncle?" he nearly screamed. "What does he have to do with this?"

"Who's his uncle?" Rose exclaimed. Joshua and Anduin shared a look.

"We have time for this round of questioning," Joshua said with a sigh. "Or we'll make some. I'll get the trube."

"Trube?" Rose and the King both repeated.

"Truth tube," Lizzie responded. "Don't ask." They sat in silence as they all waited anxiously for Joshua to return. Anduin fid

geted a little, hoping that his hunch would prove correct, otherwise he would have wasted valuable time in finding Diana. He shivered slightly, for no one else present could imagine what sort of situation she might be in. But Anduin knew his uncle all too well and he didn't want to think of what she might be facing.

The heavy footsteps of a running man signified Joshua's return. He entered the room breathing heavily and held out the tube to Anduin, who, as he took it, couldn't help but think that Joshua was not as young as he had once been.

"I heard that," said Joshua, still gasping slightly for breath.

'Sorry,' said Anduin, not sounding sorry at all.

"I'm sure you are," said Joshua sardonically, ignoring the odd looks he was receiving from the room's other three occupants who could not hear Anduin's side of the conversation. "So what can you tell me?"

'I bet that Henry called on the pact he had made through your father with my uncle. The deal wasn't just in the name of Gilld, but also in the name of England. He has the power to do it and it wouldn't be dangerous to any of their allies, since almost no one underwater believes that humans really exist, not to mention vice versa.

"Really?" Joshua asked incredulously.

'It's information reserved for mages, royalty and fairy tale tellers,' Anduin replied with a shrug. 'So there was no risk of warfare between the two countries. And Diana's explained to me that your magic doesn't work underwater, so that would be why you couldn't spot her. But I don't understand why they would agree to this ridiculous plan.'

"Well, it's obvious what Harry's motivation is," Joshua answered. "He wants the Gilld magic in the royal line. The rest of Europe will have a field day when they find out. But you're right. Tritan definitely gains something from this deal...but what?"

'Can we rescue Diana first and decide motives later on?' Anduin asked.

Joshua grinned, beginning to wonder if Anduin's reasons were purely in the name of friendship or whether there was some deeper motivation attached to them. Compared to the arrogant twit who had kidnapped his daughter, Joshua would gladly have a merman on the run for his son-in-law. Come to think of it, compared to Harry, Joshua would rather have a rampant rhinoceros as his son-in-law. "Very well," said Joshua. "You're right. Let's go."

"Care to clarify that conversation for the rest of us?" Rose asked acerbically. Anduin patted her hand condescendingly, unable to suppress a grin. She glared at him and he sighed; he would have gotten a much better reaction out of Diana.

Joshua ignored her. "You will stay safe?" he said worriedly to Lizzie.

"To the best of my ability," she answered with a gentle smile. "You stay safe as well." Joshua held her tight for a moment as they whispered their farewells and Anduin, Rose and the King tried not to watch.

"All right," said Joshua. "Let's go." And he swept out of the room, his long traveling cloak billowing behind him. The other three followed rather meekly. They were out of the castle less than one hour later, mounted on horseback and riding at a breakneck pace towards the ocean.

They arrived that night, their horses foaming at the mouth and exhausted. Joshua dismounted and marched towards the docks after handing the reins to a nearby innkeeper who had come out when he had heard footsteps and was not at all happy to find that his only customers were four horses. Anduin followed him, slightly bowlegged as he had never been on a horse that long before and it hurt like all hell. Henry helped Rose down, cautiously taking her hand and treating her with the same delicate respect one would show for a perfect blossom. She ignored him, allowing him to treat her as such without any acknowledgement on her part as they followed the two men down the quay and towards the water. He was just glad to hold her hand. It had been torture these past few weeks, utter torture, and he hated what had brought him to this state. But there was nothing he could have done and there was still nothing his could do. He shivered and let her assume it was due to the weather.

"So," said Joshua as they stood on the edge of the dock in the deep darkness of midnight, "Who goes first?" They looked around at one another before Anduin jerked his finger towards the King, then ran his forefinger across his throat.

"I don't think the water will be dangerous to us," Joshua answered, frowning. Anduin shook his head. pointing to the King again, then sketching the ancient magical hieroglyph for simulacrum in the air.

"Good idea," Joshua said. He knew what Anduin meant now. Water was impervious to magic...at least the sort of magic Joshua could do. Rumor was that merfolk knew a different sort as well that worked under water and only under water. By virtue of the fact that the simulacrum existed above ground, it meant that the magic was of the air variety. More importantly, simulacra required a constant flow of magic to keep them going, so if this one were to step into water it should disappear, which would make all their lives simpler, as a pretend King was not exactly the sort of thing one wanted to be wandering around with. "Your majesty, will you do us the honor of leading the way?" he asked sardonically.

The King shrugged and grabbed hold of one of the ropes used to anchor boats and, with that, carefully lowered himself into the water. And, to the shock of all present, remained perfectly fine.

"Who's coming next?" he asked the man asked, looking up at them.

"Who ARE you?" Joshua shouted, staring down at the man, now that his pet theory had been so well debunked.

"I can't tell you," he replied, though it was a terrible struggle to get those words out. Anduin made a face and dove in next to the man while he was still shouting "I can't tell you," over and over again. He yanked the King, or whoever it was, under the water and, suddenly, the spell that controlled his words no longer worked, for, as Anduin had guessed, it was not a one-time prevention like his own, but one that was set off again every time he tried to talk to someone. So the water would prevent the spell from working. The King got a mouthful of water and inhaled most of it, but there was just enough time for Anduin to hear his true name. Anduin stared at him underwater in shock as the other man tried to claw his way back up using the rope.

A moment later, a third person joined them in the water and Joshua pulled the man back into the air. He began to cough up about half the ocean, while Joshua glared down at Anduin, who had just remembered that he breathed air, not water, and should resurface soon.

"What was that for?" Joshua growled. "Why didn't you save him?" Anduin tried to speak, swore as he realized once again that he couldn't, and grabbed the knife in his pocket. He began etching symbols into the wood of the pier, symbols in the ancient tongue of wizardry that Joshua had to squint at to decipher. When he did, he nearly dropped the man in his arms back under water.

"Are you sure?" he asked Anduin. The latter nodded. "But if he's up here," Joshua murmured, "Then who has..." He trailed off and met Anduin's eyes with identical looks of fear. Things had just gotten a whole lot worse.

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – Erm, umm, so I think this might be two cliffhangers I've left you with at once. Is that illegal or something? Don't worry, I promise next chapter will be Diana's discovery of her parentage – not pretty. And if I was unclear about any bits of magic in water, here's a little explanation. There are two types – that which works in air and that which works in water. They cannot occur in their opposite element but, if some magic was done in its own element, the effects remain if the magicked object transfers elements. Hence Anduin's lack of voice and lack of fins. However, a simulacrum, for example, is magic in a constant state of movement, so it doesn't qualify as magic already done and can only exist in its own element. All good?

Now, I would love to do individual thank yous, but I don't have enough time and I figure you guys prefer updates over me taking two days to go through my inbox for reviews. Am I right? I'm always right. Oh, and if anyone's read the 6th Harry Potter and wants to rant, drop me a line.

So thank you to all my wonderful reviews who make the Gillded world go round. I love you all and I'm glad you hate my cliffhangers. And special thanks to someone for lending me a protagonist and a kiss in times of need. Once again, I love you all!

Levana (Damian)


	14. The News Is Broken

_**Chapter 14**_

"Well, well, well," said the great King Tritan as he floated leisurely outside the air bubble in which Diana was encased. "It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Diana Gilld."

"I wish I could say the same," she answered blithely. "Who are you really?"

"I'm shocked," said Tritan, not seeming shocked at all. "I would have thought that your father would have said much about me. But I forget, he died before you were born." Diana's jaw fell open and she was so surprised, she couldn't even think of a suitable reply to that absurd statement. "Anyway, I am, as you have already been informed, King Triton, Lord of the Seven Seas, Prince of all the Oceans and Lord Regent of all Water. You can address me as Your Highness."

"You know, you're almost as charming as Harry here," Diana muttered. "Why have you brought me here?"

"There are a number of reasons. But you were promised to this young man even before you were born and I am merely here to see this promise fulfilled."

Diana fought hard not to snort. "But I see you don't believe me," Tritan continued. "You're wondering how it is possible that Joshua Gilld would ever promise a child of his to the hated royal family."

"I'm not wondering," Diana shot back. "I know he wouldn't. So just reveal whatever terrible secret you're building up to, I'm not enjoying this game."

"She is truly a marvel," Tritan said to Harry, who nodded ruefully. "Well then, let me not keep you in suspense any longer. When I mentioned your father, I was not referring to the Duke Joshua Gilld, but to a different man."  
"No!" Diana shouted almost involuntarily.

"Yes," he replied, sounding all too happy. "You were born eight months after your parents married, one month after your mother had slept with another man. Shall I tell you his name?"

"You filthy liar!" Diana shouted, lunging at the King, not caring what he was going to say. He was only trying to provoke her, his words had no basis in fact. And yet she could not allow someone to say such things about her parents. She was stopped abruptly as she ran into what felt like a brick wall. She had reached the edge of the bubble that surrounded them and could not pass it to reach the King outside.

"Foolish Diana," Tritan said, laughing at her. "If you leave your little bubble, you will die a very painful death." Diana stopped beating her fists against the barrier. "Now will you listen to me?"

"If I must," she answered with an attempt at a nonchalant shrug, though she was still breathing hard.

"Your father's name is Duke Andrew Gilld."

Diana couldn't help herself and just started laughing. "Oh please," she said when she had finally caught her breath. "What sort of an idiotic story is that and why did you expect me to believe it?"

"Perhaps because it's the truth?" Tritan asked icily, the interview not going at all according to his plans.

"Of course, and I suppose that England's colonies in the Americas are going to revolt and become a world power. Perhaps you are going to fly me to the moon after that?"

"Watch your tongue," Tritan snapped.

"No," Diana answered. "You watch yours. What sort of daughter do you suppose I am that I would allow you to say such despicable things about my parents?"

"Shall I force you to believe us?" Harry asked in a low and dangerous voice.

"How? Diana scoffeed, though she was quaking inside. She was obviously in the presence of madmen and, while their words were patently absurd, their abilities in magic and in combat were certainly more than enough to overwhelm her. Not to mention that she was prepared to believe that Harry would marry her against her will and never allow her to see her family again. So, all slander aside, she was in a very dangerous position.

"You think that wizards haven't invented a spell to reveal parentage?" Tritan asked, smiling wolfishly at her. I assure you, with the amount of wild oats sown by the magical community, the need for an accurate verification spell was paramount. And it will work on you just as well as a wizard's bastard."  
Diana had a bad feeling about this. In all her mother's stories, this would be where the intrepid heroine would shrug her shoulders and allow the villain to perform the spell, not noticing that there was one small flaw in the words that would allow the result desired by the evil one to come about. "On one condition," she said finally.

"Diana my darling," began Harry condescendingly, "you are in no position to dictate the-"

"Do you want me to believe you or not?" she challenged. Harry turned to Tritan, who merely shrugged.

"It will work for her just as well as it will work for me," he said. "Why not let her say it?"

A chill ran down Diana's spine. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. But now all she could do was go along with it.

"All right," she said softly. "How does it work?"

"Do you have a wand on you?" Tritan enquired. Diana shook her head wordlessly.

"Tsk," said Harry, looking smug. "I do." And before Diana could reply to what was undoubtedly a double entendre, he pulled out a thin wand made of rowan wood and coated in silver.

"Where did you get that?" Diana breathed. For it looked just like one of the five wands that her mother kept in her office.

"I 'borrowed' it," he answered, holding it out to her. Diana gasped as she felt the familiar shock of energy that made the air around her tremble with electricity. Each wand had it's own signature of a sort and this was most assuredly one used by her mother. She was tempted to ask how he had gotten his hands on this, but she had a feeling she wouldnt like the answer and, besides, she was unbearablely curious about how they were trying to trick her into believing she was the daughter of her grandfather.

"Very well," Diana repeated. "Now what?"

"Imagine a person in your mind's eye," Tritan said, his voice low and soothing. Diana did as she was told, deciding to test the spell first by imagining her little brother, Jonathan. There were no doubts about his parentage and this would be a way to discern if the spell was rigged in some way. "Now, the arial method works like this. You must concentrate on the person as a tree and, once you have that image in your head, you will be able to see their ancestors, their roots, so to speak."

"It sounds almost too easy," Diana, murmured, trying not to laugh as she imagined her eight year old brother covered in bark and sprouting leaves.

"Everything's easy if you're told how to do it," said Tritan dismissively. And, indded, it was almost too easy. She saw these strange golden lines radiating out from her brother's feet. There were two bright rays, one that led to an image of her mother and another to that of her father.

"Do you see it?" asked Tritan excitedly.

"I do," Diana answered, trying not to smirk. "MY brother is indeed my father's son." She let her small smile show at the look of outrage on the faces of those around her. "Forgive me for not trusting you gentlemen," she said sweetly. "I have been raised to believe that not everyone is as honest as they should be."

"Will you get on with it?" Harry asked through gritted teeth. It suddenly occured to Diana that Harry didn't know either. He was betting on this and, if he was wrong, there would be hell to pay. Diana stroked the wand, her eyes dark with mischeif.

"Hold on," she said softly, "I have to prepare myself for the magic. One should never just rush into these things."

"If you don't hurry up, I will kill you with my bare hands," Harry shouted.

"And there goes your dream of a magical monarchy," Diana said with a shrug. She had the upper hand as long as they needed her to validate their utterly absurd claims. Diana had to work this as long as she could, since when Harry found out that Joshua was really her father, as she was sure he would any moment, he would lose his temper at Tritan and she would be trapped down here at their mercy. She had to be useful to them.

"You have a little sister," said Tritan idly. "True, she is not of the same birth as you, but she would do if necessary. Joshua is a powerful mage, if not quite as powerful as his father."

"He wouldn't let you near Abigail," Diana snarled.

"He wouldn't let me near you either," Harry pointed out idly. Diana swallowed nervously.

"Very well," she said softly. And she began to imagine. She saw herself in her mind's eye and began to picutre herself as a great rowan tree, covered in pale blossoms. She smiled as the flowers waved around her like a dress and, slowly, the two beams of golden light began to flow from her feet. On the distaff side was an image of her mother, slight in frame yet strong in personailty. On the other side, her father's side, she saw the most terrible sight imaginable.

"No!" she shouted, letting go of the wand and allowing it to fall. It toppled to the grounand rolled along the floor before coming to a stop at the edge of the bubble. Diana paid it no heed, she had buried her face in her hands, as if to block of the image that had been burned into her brain. The sight of a tall, good looking man with a tan face, light brown hair and eerily green eyes. It was the same picture that hung above her father's desk, that he would never answer any questions about. She had known it was her grandfather, nothing more. "It's not true," she breathed. "Tell me it's not true."

Harry put what was meant to be a comforting hand on her shoulder, though she could sense the pleased superiority. She wrenched herself away from his grip. All her pleas were for nothing. She had tested this spell well, she knew it only told the truth. Duke Andrew Gilld was indeed her father.

"Very well," said Diana, raising tired eyes that simply could not cry to look into the face of King Tritan. She was beaten. Her mother had lied to her all her life and the man she loved as her father was really her older brother. She shivered in revulsion. There was nothing left for her in that nest of lies, nothing. For one brief moment, she thought of Anduin and wondered if he would run away with her. But she threw that thought away quickly, he would much rather stay with Rose. Besides, she was illigitemate now. No one in their right mind would marry her. Yet she doubted Harry was in his right mind. At the moment, however, the thought of him was the least of her problems. Her entire existence had been a lie and she felt this strange swelling of anger at all those who had hid this from her.

"You are convinced?" Tritan asked happily.

"I am," she answered, forcing all those she had ever held dear out of her heart. For they could not love her back, not if they treated her like this. "What do you want from me?" For it would be prudent to play along with them for now. After all, she had nothing else.

Tritan smiled wolfishly. "You will carry on your father's legacy," he told her. She tried to understand that Andrew Gilld was the man Tritan was referring to, though she couldn't erase the image of Joshua from her mind. "You will be the bridge between England and Atlantica. You will join your magic to mine and together, King Henry and I will rule the world."

"Why am I not surprised?" Diana muttered.

"Sometimes I think you have too much of your mother in you," Harry said. "But don't worry, my little dove, you will bve quite happy as Queen of the world."

I'm sure I will be, Diana thought sarcastically. And then the true enormity of what happened finally hit her. She sank to her knees and buried her face in her hands, not crying, but rocking back and forth as she mourned for the loss of all those she had ever loved, but had never truly loved her back.

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – Yes, it's another short, mildly evil chapter. For all those of you who were hoping Diana would find out from her parents, I'm sorry. And she's mad. I don't blame her, poor girl. But she hasn't given up yet. She's a strong girl, she'll be okay. I'm going to do a quick reply to reviews, since I have to go and put my campers to bed.

Shortstef – Yes, you did deserve a cliffhanger. Especially after your latest update. I don't actually plan a single thing when I write, I tend to just let it flow and work things in when necessary. I have, up until now, had extraordinary luck with the way that things work in my stories, but no, I tend not to plan very much.

Lesalanna – What can I say, we're all masochists and cliffhangers make people come back for more. Yeah, HBP was very upsetting and, as one of my friends said, will cause a huge upheaval in the world of fanfiction.

Soofija – I'm in America, I can do whatever I want (just check with my president). Seriously though, I'm sorry about the lack of clarity. If I ever get on an editing kick, I will go back and try and clarify (work it in to the story earlier as well). If you have any specific questions, please ask them, I would be more than happy to answer. And I'm working on the speed thing, see previous statements about campers.

Anarea Rose – Well, you got your wish,. Diana's had the startling revelation and I'm glad someone likes my cliffies, since I'm growing rather fond of them.

FutureFamousMovieDirector – Glad you liked. And I'm sorry this took so long, I was supervising campers (staying up all night to make sure they DON'T sneak into the boy's cabins and do god-knows-what is not conducive to creativity.

So that's all for now. People are noticing that I've been typing forever and that it looks like a whole book, so I'll leave you for now. More soon, or so I hope.

Levana (Damian)


	15. Arranging Marriage

_**Chapter 15**_

Diana sat on the floor of the bubble, curled up into a small ball of misery as she waited to hear what fate had in store for her. Harry stood over her, watching with narrowed eyes to see how she would respond. He probably wants me to burst into tears and fling myself against his legs, wailing, Diana thought bitterly to herself. But she wasn't that type of girl and she knew that such actions would be utterly useless. She stared down at the ridges on her hands and just waited.

"Do you think she's taking this well?" Harry asked Tritan.

"She's weak sometimes," Tritan replied. "They all are." Diana wanted to slap him, show him just how weak she was. But angering him would do no good. If there was one thing she had learned from her fath- from Joshua Gilld, it was that you never got angry until it was over. Then you could indulge in all the shouting you wanted to, but not before that.  
"So what do we do?" Harry asked.

"You can be surprisingly incompetant where woman are concerned," Tritan said suddenly, trying not to grin.

"I'm not even going to deign that with a reply," Harry said. "Speaking of which, do we tell her?"

"Not yet," Tritan replied after a moment's deliberation. "Look at how badly she's taking this." Diana groaned under her breath. What else could they possibly have to tell her?  
"True," Harry replied. "Very well. Let's skip to the important parts."  
Tritan straightened up. "Well, Diana?" he inquired in what might have passed for a friendly tone had he not sounded so smug. "Are you feeling better yet?"  
"Was that a rhetorical question?" Diana snapped.

Tritan laughed. "Now, now, little girl. Don't shout so. I know quite well how strong you are. I was there, after all, when you were fighting for your pathetic cousin's life."  
That made Diana look up. "Excuse me?" she asked, waiting for clarification.  
"Who do you think sent the storm?" Tritan retorted.

Diana barely managed not to swear at him. Figures, he also tried to kill her cousin. Diana paused for a moment, trying to figure out what her relationship with Rose actually was. She was actually Rose's aunt, not cousin. Diana shook her head; apart from being heartrending, this new information was becoming extremely confusing.

"And why exactly did you do that?" Diana asked icily.

"Well, it was the easiest way to get her," Tritan answered with a shrug. Seeing Diana's confused features, he explained. "I was going to kidnap her and bring her down here to marry her off to my nephew. You see, my son is not quite the heir I would have dreamed of having. MY nephew, however, has the perfect combination of power, good looks and disillusionment with the world. So, when my son dies, he will be the heir to the throne. Then he would be married to Rose, thus uniting the kingdoms in France with those in Atlantica and, through you, unite England with the other two. We will then have a powerful alliance with some of the most able mages on Earth and can then start to bring the rest of Europe under our dominion."

"Your majesty, with all due respect, that is the most idiotic plan I've heard since my three year old brother decided he would get better food if he pretended to be a dog. The ensuing war will decimate Europe and, in the end, your alliance will be defeated. There are twenty other countries in Europe, all of which have many powerful mages."

"But none so powerful as the English," Harry said proudly.

Diana rolled her eyes, but Tritan continued. "That would be true, if i were talking about arial magic. But if we were to cause the rivers to overflow, the monsoons to come, the seas to rise, how could they stop it? They have no aquatic magic." He grinned at her triumphantly.  
Diana put the back of her hand against her forehead and threw her head back. "Oh no!" she cried out, overacting for all it was worth. "How despicable! How could you, you monster!" Harry snickered, but at a look from Tritan, turned it into a cough. "Was that the reaction you were seeking?" Diana asked, glaring at him.

"I don't require a suitable audience to make this work," Tritan replied. "Now kindly shut up, I was talking. Once Europe is in danger of sinking under, they will have no choice but to give into us."

"Are you planning on sinking Britian and France as well?" Diana asked angrily. "Last time I checked, the latter was on the continent."

"Yes, but Anduin has aquatic magic and can protect France and I will teach you such skills so you can save England, if you so choose."

Diana had stopped listening after she had heard Tritan say Anduin. "Excuse me, what was that name?"

"Anduin." Tritan repeated. "My nephew. The one who's going to marry Rose." Diana swore silently but viciously, making Tritan laugh. "Oh yes, you know him. You might even find him attractive, he's quite good looking. And he traded his voice to a sea witch to follow his true love. You see, when you interfered with my kidnapping, although I was very grateful for it gave me a chance to meet you, I had to find another way to bring Anduin and Rose together. Fortunately, the silly boy had followed me and did all the work himself. He saved her life and did me the favor of lusting after her enormously. He thinks its true love but I know there's no such thing and I'm sure you agree, after learning the truth about your parents."

Ouch, Diana thought, why don't you jab the knife in a little deeper, it doesn't hurt enough yet.

"So he got himself turned into a human and showed up on your doorstep a mere week before Harry was coming to set phase two of our plans into motion. It was practically serendipitous."  
"Well forgive me for not leaping for joy," Diana drawled, "It's unladylike."  
"I think I'm going to enjoy working with her," said Tritan.

"She's my wife, not yours."

"Or will be, by tomorrow night," Tritan corrected.

"Tomorrow!" Diana yelped without even thinking. "Are you serious?"

"My dear Diana, of course I am!" Tritan replied. "Don't you see, it's essential that you be married before someone tries some ill fated attempt to rescue you. It will only hurt you to see them again and, besides, if you decide to go with that person, I'll have to kill them and killing people doesn't make me happy unless they're worthless first."  
"No one is worthless," Diana muttered.

"Sure they are," Tritan replied cheerfully, "We just don't tell them that to their faces."  
"And what am I worth?" Diana found herself asking.

"You, my darling," said Harry with a smile, "are priceless." Diana gagged.  
Tritan grinned as he watched the couple fight. Diana would eventually get used to her husband, he didn't doubt that they were a very good match. He had always gotten along excellently with her father and she had much of his stubborness and sense of humor. So that should be fine when Diana finally forgave him for kidnapping her and marrying her against her will. Tritan sighed and rubbed his temples; why was it that one could never make easy plans to rule the world?

"I choose not to read into that statement," Diana was saying. "So, do I get a lovely gown to be wed in or will this old, torn, mudstained thing suffice?"

"You're taking this surprisingly well," remarked Tritan.

"If you prefer, I could throw a temper tantrum, beat my fists fruitlessly on the glass and shout to the world that I wish you all would perish," Diana replied acerbically.  
"How cliche," Harry answered. "I would rather you stayed with the sarcasm, if you don't mind."  
"I wasn't aware my feelings about anything were being taken into account," Diana shot back. The truth was, she would love to fling herself down and scream to the world about how ill she was being treated, but there was no point. She knew a hopeless situation when she saw it and, while she could think of few things worse than being married to Harry, being dead at the bottom of the ocean was certainly one of them. She wasn't ordinarily this pragmatic, but when one was staring certain death in the face, it was very easy to remain in control...sort of.

"My dear Diana." said Harry in mock shock, "I assure you, we have given due consideration to your feelings." Diana glowered at him.

"Very well," she said as she looked around her and realized how dark the seas were becoming. "It's late and I would like to sleep before my big day tomorrow, if you don't mind."  
"Of course," said Tritan, happy that he was having so few problems with this strange child. He had no doubts that she would be up to something, he just didn't know what. "Let me show you to the human wing of the castle."

Diana looked up in surprise. "There's a human wing!"

"Of course, how do you think I entertained your father during our numerous meetings?" Diana tried not to show her opinions of her father, though she couldn't help but pull a small face. She hated to think of her ignoble birth, hated the thought that Joshua Gilld, the man she admired more than anyone else in the world, was not actually her father and did not care enough to protect his wife from bearing another's child. But she had no doubts that her new husband and her new partner in magic would take every opportunity possible to remind her of what had happened, so she had better toughen her skin now.

"Follow me," continued Tritan and he waved his hand idly. The bubble that Diana and Harry were standing in began to slowly drift off towards the magnificent coral castle located dead ahead. It shone from the lights of a million glowing sea creatures, illuminated like moonlight on a still lake. Diana couldn't help but stare, dumbfounded, at such unexpected beauty. It seemed so strange that such a marvelous building could be constructed under the sea. And yet it stood there, ethereal and not at all sturdy looking. Yet Diana had no doubts that it was safe. After all, she was in the water, where could she fall?

They continued their slow journey forward and Diana took the time to set her thoughts in order. She felt surprisingly calm, after all the terrible things she had just been told. She didn't question their veracity anymore; it was far too late for that. But she thought she should be feeling a little more emotion at the prospect of her entire life coming crashing down around her ears. But she was just numb. She shivered and tried to imagine her fate; married to Prince Harry, no longer having a father, never being able to even talk to Anduin again, never being able to find out if he could love her back, not knowing what her brothers and sister will be like when they grow up. Diana shook her head. It just didn't seem possible; as surreal as the aquatic world that whirled around her. She felt as if she was in a dream and she was, more than anything else, terrified of the moment when she would wake up and realize that the nightmare was real.

"What is it?" Harry asked, noticing the dazed look on his bride-to-be's face.

"Nothing," she replied distractedly, forcing her best fake smile onto her face. "Just admiring the scenery." But her mind was still focused on her plight. She knew her original reaction was pure shock at the news; those tears she had shed had not flowed because of any understanding, they had been as unstoppable as a reflex and just as incomprehensible. But now, now she was just waiting. Waiting for the noose to be placed, not around her neck, but around the fourth finger of her left hand.

"Here we are," said Tritan, making her look up. They stood at the gates to the coral castle, the arching doors swinging majestically open to allow their leige lord and his guests entry. Triton swam in and waved to the numerous lords, ladies and servants milling around. They did nothing in reply, merely stared at the bubble of air following the King. The sight of a human being escorted into their castle was something almost entirely unprecedented and they really had no idea how to deal with these strange mythical creatures with such unsightly legs.

"Ignore them," Harry whispered to Diana, who was visibly shaken by the curious and suspicious looks she was receiving. "Just wait until they truly encounter the human world." Diana shivered.

"Harry, what exactly was the point in involving Tritan in this scheme of yours?" she asked suddenly. "I mean, what's in it for him?"

Harry stroked the stubble on his chin thoughtfully. "A number of things, none of which would matter on their own. But the combination of a viable heir, a new type of magic and the prospect of renewing his treaty with England has led our fishy friend to consider my offer and, ultimately, accept. Besides, he felt outraged when he found out that you had no knowledge of who you truly were."

And we're back to that, Diana thought angrily to herself. Honestly, can't they let me forget for over a minute? But she knew that would never happen, that she would never forget the lie she had lived, the lie in which she had been happy.

"Follow the bubble," Tritan told them airily, though his sharp eyes were fixed on his subjects; whose expressions ran the gamut from confused to downright furious. "It will take you to your suites."

"How many?" Diana found herself asking.

"Two, of course," Tritan replied. Diana sighed with relief. "At least until tomorrow."

"If I demanded to be wed at Westminster Abbey-" Diana began.

"Not a chance," Harry responded. "Do you honestly think I would wed the illegitemate daughter of a whore in-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence; he was caught off by a loud noise and a sharp stab of pain as Diana slapped him.

"Don't you dare say that again," she hissed softly. "Or else I will wait until tomorrow night to castrate you and slit your throat, so help me God." Harry visibly paled and Tritan smirked.

"Save the spats for the marriage," he suggested, winking. Diana didn't even deign him with an angry look though, had she known the location of mer-genitalia, she might have threatened him with the same. "You will be married tomorrow afternoon in front of all my people by a suitable member of the clergy. Does that satisfy you, Diana?"

"Yes," she answered crisply, knowing that there was no other answer.

"Doesn't take much to satisfy you, does it," Harry growled nastily.

"No, it doesn't, but I sincerely doubt that you're capable of providing me with any satisfaction anyway," Diana answered sweetly. "I'm tired, I feel like I haven't slept for a week, can we please leave?" Harry could't reply, he was still in shock from her words. Tritan snickered.

"I can see that Harry will have his hands full with you. Very well, I will direct the bubble to take you to your suite, where I suggest you get a good night's sleep. A week has gone by in the outside world while you were traveling here, so your body needs rest, especially before such a big day." With a casual wave of his hand, the bubble floated up and to the left, into one of the myriad hallways that branched off from the main entryhall.

"A week?" Diana asked incredulously. "Harry, did you know about this?"

"No," he answered sullenly, still upset at being upstaged by a woman. "I was as much in the dark as you were, forgive the pun." They lapsed into silence, Diana wondering if they were doing anything about her absense yet and Harry curious as to what sort of bed partner Diana Gilld would make.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, the bubble came to a rest at the opening to a small hallway and burst. Diana's eyes, heavy with lack of sleep, flew open. They were standing in a perfectly ordinary hallway with six doors, one leading back the way they had came, into the water. Two of the doors had names on them. The one on the left said Diana Gilld

and so, before Harry could pull her back for some sort of goodbye kiss, she strode forward, pulled the door open, slammed it behind her and locked it.

She leaned against the door, sighing, as her gaze wandered around the beautiful room. Lovely though the bed was and comfortable though it looked, it was still a prison. And so, she flung herself down on the bed and allowed the emotional block to break down, sobbing bitterly over the loss of her father.

It would have made a very pretty picture, had the man hiding behind the wardrobe not snuck up and knocked her unconscious with one very well aimed spell.

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – It was almost going to be a chapter with a normal ending, but then the sneaky man decided not to wait until next chapter and had to sneak in now. Oh well.

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers, you are my food for thought…even when I insult you. I'm going to make this very short, since I need to put my campers to bed now, but I will be back home in five days and hopefully be back to my old two chapters a week method of writing. So, thank you to Anarea Rose, FutureFamousMoveDirector, Shortstef (who had every right to call my nasty) and Soofija (who I'm glad I didn't disappoint, since I would have hated to lose you now). I love you all and I hope you liked this chapter.

Levana (Damian)


	16. Machinations of a Duke

_**Chapter 16**_

The morning outside dawned clear and cold. The wind whipped at the waves, making huge splashes against the docks as they broke, sloshing white foam over the wood. The sailors waiting there looked around at one another, unsure what to do. True, the weather wasn't perfect for sailing, but it would have been fine and they all would have left already had that odd woman not been standing there. They stared at her, then back at one another, curious as to what such a richly dressed lady would be doing out on the wharf at dawn.

Lizzie stood alone on the dock, staring out at the sea and waiting. It had been a week since Joshua, Rose, Anduin and the King had left. She shivered in the cold morning air and looked out at the light of the dawn. Where were they? And why hadn't they come home yet? She had fixed the mirror, but she knew it was impossible to see them so long as they remained underwater. And yet, how could she not worry? This was her family down there, the people she loved more than anyone in the world and the man who had saved her life more times than she cared to count.

"Please stay safe," she murmured, blowing a kiss to those she with whom she longed to be reunited. "And please come home." She walked off the wharf, her long velvet cloak blowing out behind her like wings. The sailors watched her go, wondering how she had walked into their lives and what she would do.

Lizzie reached a small alleyway and, with a sigh, used a simple invisibility spell to hide herself, then took flight. She flew home, distracted by her fears for those she held so dear.

XOX

Deep beneath the waves, two men stood by the side of a bed. On the bed lay a young girl with auburn hair that fell out behind her in waves and lay on the pillow like a fiery halo. The younger man turned to the elder with a worried look in his eyes.

"She'll be alright," Joshua replied, laying a gentle hand on Anduin's shoulder. Anduin shrugged; he knew that himself. But still, seeing her lying there so pale and fragile was scaring him. Admittedly, it was because he was the one who had to knock her unconscious to begin with, and he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Although it had made sense to send him, he was the best at staying silent. That didn't matter, when it came to Diana, none of his feelings made sense anymore. It's amazing how much can change in just six days, he mused. Just last week, I would have married Rose in a second but now…well, let's just say I've had a change of heart. He stroked Diana's hair, watching for any sign of movement.

"She won't be awake until later in the day," Joshua murmured, touching his daughter's cheek cautiously. She stirred slightly, but didn't awaken. "Would you like to watch over her for me?" Joshua asked almost teasingly. Anduin glared at him, then smiled slightly and nodded his head. "Thank you," her father replied.

Joshua left the room, smiling to himself. It was strange; two months with Diana hadn't made the boy notice her, but take her away from him for one week and he was head over heels in…well something. Perhaps not love yet. He just hoped that Anduin would prove enough of a distraction for Diana; he had quite a few machinations to pull off. He strode away, lost in a memory from long ago, when another man had spent a long day and night at the bed of another woman, waiting for her to awaken and praying she would be all right. Although, he doubted Anduin was in quite the state he had been in at that time.

XOX

Anduin looked down at Diana again. Poor thing, to have been dragged into these ridiculous agreements that were going on between his uncle and the King. Once the fake King had revealed himself for who he was, Anduin and Joshua had spent a long time with the man trying to find out just what was going on. Their disguised friend had told all. When Joshua found out about the impending marriage for his daughter, he nearly exploded. To be fair, Anduin hadn't been pleased either. He didn't really like their current plan either, although it was a lot safer for Diana this way.

He sighed and petted Diana's arm. She rolled over a little and put her head on one shoulder. He wondered when she would wake up, he was most anxious to talk to her…or at least hear her story.

Anduin sat down on the chair next to her bed and let his head rest in his hands. This was going to take a while.

XOX

Joshua stalked into the room where Rose was waiting. "Are you sure about this?" he asked her, his eyes dark with worry.

"I'm sure," she answered bravely.

"You know that there's no backing out, right?" he pressed, watching her carefully.

"I know what I want," she persisted stubbornly, just like her mother.

"And are you sure you want to marry the Prince?" Joshua asked. "You don't need to, you know. There's no rule that says so."

"I know what I'm doing," she said softly. "Don't worry about me, Uncle Joshua. He won't hurt me."

"It's not him I'm afraid of," Joshua muttered. "Very well, let's get this started." Rose sighed and stood up in front of her uncle.

"So what do we do?"

"Well, first we're going to have to get you into disguise," he said with a crooked grin. Rose's eyebrows lifted slightly.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" she asked.

"Well, if you're going to be impersonating Diana, you can't very well look like you," Joshua said cheerfully. "Now let's go."

Rose just stared at him as if her uncle had lost his mind, which was not unlikely judging by the circumstances they were in. "I thought you said that the whole reason this would work was because he was in disguise and I wasn't."

"No, no," said Joshua impatiently, feeling almost elated as the details of his…well, their brilliant plan ran circles around his brain. "There's nothing wrong with being in disguise, it's all in the manner of the chicanery."

"You know," Rose interrupted before he could launch into another long-winded and totally incomprehensible explanation, "I trust you. Let's just get on with this."

Joshua shrugged, never wanting to pass up a chance to expound on his own genius, but understanding the need for speed. "Very well. The first thing we need to take care of is your hair."

"It will return to its old color," Rose asked nervously as Joshua laid a hand atop her head and shut her eyes. "Won't it?"

"Don't be silly," he said with a chuckle. "Of course it will." And then Rose felt her long, straight tresses slowly curl into small waves and shorten until they were barely past her shoulders. She watched in awe as their dark mahogany color began to lighten and become the auburn she was accustomed to associating with her cousin.

"Wow," she breathed, combing her fingers through the long curls. "So you can change my hair to any color I want?"

"Were I so inclined," Joshua answered. "However, I have better things to do than serve as a hairdresser to any woman, Princess though she may be."

"What about your wife?"

"My wife insists that I have no taste and that she wouldn't allow me near her hair if her life depended on it. Besides, she's a competent sorceress in her own right, I see no reason to interfere." He paused. "And she's lovely as is."

Rose couldn't help but smile, it was nice to see that Joshua's soft spot for Lizzie was still in good order. "So why is it safe to allow you to do this to me?"

"I may not be creative, but I know what my daughter looks like. Besides," he added, smirking, "You have no alternatives."

Rose glared at him, not quite knowing what to say. "Now hold still," Joshua commanded. "There's only so much I can do without breaking my own laws, so we're going to be treading on thin ice here. I'm can't actually chance your facial features to mimic Diana's, so we're going to need to do a lot of camouflage work. Thankfully, you'll have a veil on, so all that ridiculous face paint should take care of most of my problems."

"You're putting makeup on me!" Rose squeaked in terror.

"Of course not," Joshua replied, throwing his head back and laughing. "You'd end up looking like some strange farm animal and not even Harry would marry you." Seeing the hurt look on Rose's face, he sighed and kissed her forehead. "I was teasing you, Rose. You are beautiful, never let anyone tell you otherwise."

She smiled at her uncle; as his children knew well, words of praise from him were sparing and all the more precious when received. "You really think so?"

"Definitely," he said, squeezing her shoulder. "You take after your mother's side of the family, after all." She glared at him, but he just snickered softly. "Now close your eyes."

"Why?"  
"I'm changing their color. That would be the biggest giveaway and, even if the makeup isn't perfect, as long as you have Diana's eyes no one will suspect a thing."

Joshua drew back and eyed his niece critically. It was a strange combination of features that he saw and he hoped that the paint would cover up some vital details, like the fact that their noses weren't the same. Life would have been much easier had they actually been related, but technically, he and Belle had the same mother and Diana wasn't his biological daughter so there weren't even familial similarities between the two girls. However, they didn't look that different and were about the same height so, all in all, Joshua thought they had a good chance of succeeding.

"Now go and get dressed," Joshua said affectionately, patting Rose's head. "The wedding's in a few hours and we don't want to be caught under-prepared."

"That's all you're doing magically?" Rose asked in shock.

Joshua shrugged. "As I told you, the more I do to you, the shakier ground we tread with this deceit. Don't worry, everything will be fine." He strode out of the door, off to find the fourth member of their party.

Rose stared at herself in the mirror. How was she ever going to make this work?

XOX

"Gilld?" said a quite voice from behind Joshua. He whirled around immediately.

"Christ, you scared me. Can't you announce yourself like an ordinary human being?" Belatedly, he remembered that they were continuing the charade that Harry had begun, that the man standing before him in the guise of the King of England was actually Henry the Tenth and added a grudging "Your Majesty".

The man chuckled at the addendum. "Really, I'm sure you don't treat the true king like this."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Joshua muttered to himself. "So why did you come to scare me today, Sire?

"I just wanted to see if all our plans were in order," he answered, the hint of a tremor in his voice.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Your Highness, everything will be fine." Joshua was utterly sick of answering this question, the only person he hadn't heard it from incessantly was Anduin, and that was because the boy couldn't speak.

"But how can you be sure that _he_ won't do anything ridiculous and hurt her when he finds out about what we've done."

"Because I'm going to be there and if it comes down to him or me, I win."

"So how exactly did your daughter get kidnapped then?" the pseudo-King asked not so nicely.

"Don't go there, you little idiot," Joshua growled, his fists clenching. "We all know whose fault _that_ was."

"Oh, so now this is my fault that you can't even watch over your daughter?"

"No, it's your fault that you have no idea how to say no to the king!"

"How dare you say that to me?" he shouted back. "You have no idea what its like trying to say no to that man!"

"Yes I do," Joshua answered. "I do it all the time."

"Well, I'm not you," he hissed at Joshua. "And I never will be."

"Thank Christ for small favors," Joshua retorted. "Now go away and hide your sorry face until we need you after the wedding."

"It was nice talking to you too," he shouted at Joshua's retreating back while he went to go and check on Diana.

"So much for keeping that act up," Joshua growled, stalking into Diana's room and slamming the door on his way, earning him a reproving look from Anduin.

"You're still here?" he asked, slumping down in the nearest chair. Anduin rolled his eyes in a 'where else would I be' expression. Joshua wanted to shout, just get out the anger he was feeling from wandering around the small hallway allotted to the air-breathers. It had been quite hard to break into this small, enclosed space that Triton had set aside and had it not been for Anduin's aquatic abilities and Joshua's oft lauded intellect, they still would be sitting out there in a small air bubble, snapping at one another. Or, in the pseudo-King's case, wishing he had done something, anything, differently.

Anduin grabbed a piece of paper sitting nearby and started scrawling in the only language they both wrote. It was always a little dangerous to carry on a normal conversation in wizard glyphs, but not half as dangerous as not letting Joshua talk.

_So what happened?_

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Joshua said with a sigh. "I think you're the only one with any brains around here."

_I'll believe that_ Anduin scrawled, flashing Joshua a crooked grin.

"See what I mean," Joshua groaned. "Those two are impossible. I love Rose dearly, but there must be something wrong with her when you try and tell her something sensible."

_She's not that bad_, Anduin protested, more because he felt like he should defend her, though he had to give Joshua some credit. She was beautiful and loving and gentle, but not the best player on the intellectual field. And Joshua, as Anduin had seen many times, had no patience for anyone. _You should have seen her lock minds with my uncle. She was incredible._

"Oh," Joshua said laughing, "That wasn't her."

_It wasn't? _Anduin wished he had his voice, no mere paper could express his shock. Though, now that he thought about it, he should have been able to figure that one out on his own. The Rose he knew didn't quite match the one he had seen there.

"No," Joshua answered.

_Well then, who was that on the boat?_

"Me," Joshua answered simply. Anduin's jaw dropped and very nearly hit the table. Joshua started laughing, unable to help himself. "I was kidding," he said finally. "Actually, it was Diana who did that. I only helped her get there."

Anduin wrote _oh_ in very small letters. He had to admit, that did explain quite a bit about both girls. Why hadn't he seen that before? It was so obvious now that he thought about it. And yet, he had been so blinded.

Anduin reached out and touched Diana's cheek, an action not lost on Joshua.

I suppose she would be in capable hands if I left her here, he mused to himself, trying not to smile. Although, that brings me to my next problem; what exactly are those hands capable of? Joshua's faith in humanity was usually high, but extremely low when it came to males and his daughter. He surely wouldn't do anything while she was asleep, though. Anduin had too much pride and was too moral…sometimes. No, he thought to himself, he'll probably wait for her to wake up…rather like I did. He smiled ruefully, remembering that night and trying to come up with reasons why it was so very different.

Anduin watched Joshua closely as numerous expressions flitted across his face and wondered what he could possibly be thinking about. Something told him not to attempt to interrupt, since he would probably be annoyed and just space out again. Then again, sitting here and watching him think wasn't exactly exciting either.

Anduin finally gave up on trying to wait through Joshua's daydream and tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped visibly, then turned to Anduin. "What is it?"

_You should go to sleep_, Anduin suggested. _You look more tired than Diana_.

Joshua laughed softly. "Good point. If you need me…or if either of the incompetents try anything stupid, come and get me."

_Will do,_ Anduin agreed, _Now go to sleep_.

"Yes sir," Joshua said, laughing, but retreating. Thankfully, Prince Harry had left earlier in the morning to go and speak to Triton and work out many of the ideas in their new treaty. Joshua wasn't planning on telling anyone that he had tactfully influenced that decision to go. Or that some of the rights that the man would insist upon did not originate in Harry's brain, for while he was a skilled negotiator, Joshua doubted that England would remember the rights of her mages if he didn't take an active role in reminding her.

The next few hours passed swiftly and, far too soon, there were a loud rapping on Diana's door. Rose, who was the sole occupant of those rooms at that time, swallowed bravely. This was it. This was do or die for her.

"Come in," she called out in a voice not wholly dissimilar to Diana's.

Harry strode in, looking magnificently regal in his wedding clothes. He wore a tunic of deep blue that had Britain's heraldic device cleverly worked into the gold embroidered designs. Over that was a cape made from cloth of gold and edged in ermine. He wore the crown of the Prince of Wales on his head and looked dashing, to say the least.

"Why, my lady," said Harry, taking Rose's hand and pulling her to her feet. "You look positively ravishing." And she was. Her face covered in a veil that ran from ear to ear, leaving only her eyes to show, Rose's willow-like frame was even lovelier than usual. She hoped Harry wouldn't notice that she was slightly taller than Diana, or that her breasts were slightly larger. Although knowing the man, she wouldn't be surprised if he noticed the latter. But no, he merely allowed his eyes to rake slowly over her, before sliding his arm around her waist and leading her out towards their wedding. Rose only hoped he would not try and converse with her, for she knew she could never match her cousin's wit and that would give her away immediately. Fortunately, however, Harry seemed just as disinclined towards talk as she was.

They soon found themselves in what appeared to be a grand cathedral. The windows were vaulted in the gothic manner and filled with the most magnificent stained glass. The floor was veined marble and the altar was covered in the most sumptuous velvet.

"What do you think?" Harry asked her. Rose wracked her brains for a typical Diana response. "Well?" Harry pressed.

"It's not Westminster," Rose said finally and left it at that.

"No," Harry agreed. "It's not. And I seem to have forgotten to publish the banns. I'm sure heaven will forgive me though." After all, he added in his mind, God has overlooked far worse.

Rose ignored him, unsure how to deal with this stranger who was so unlike the man who had rescued her on the shores of England.

And so, like in a dream, they stood before the altar, in front of a man who, if he were not truly a Bishop in the Anglican Church, was doing a very good job pretending, and prepared to be wed.

"Dearly beloved," the bishop "We are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony…"

XOX

Diana opened her eyes and realized she was staring up at a very familiar, concerned looking face.

"Anduin!" she nearly screamed, sitting up and flinging her arms around him. He caught her in his embrace and tried very hard not to kiss her. "Anduin," she whispered, "You're here." He nodded, then pulled away to get a good look at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked in their sign language.

"I've been better," she answered ruefully. "I'm going to marry Prince Harry today," she said softly, partially to see his reaction and partially in hope that he would offer to rescue her, silly though that was.

To her surprise, he did neither of these things, he just smiled broadly.

"What's so funny?" she demanded. He shrugged with a 'come and see' demeanor, then rose to his feet. Diana, feeling a little groggy, followed.

"Where are you taking me?" she demanded as Anduin led her down the hallway. He let go of her hands to respond.

"To the wedding," he signed simply, before grabbing hold of her hands once again. They reached a small antechamber and Anduin cautiously pulled aside the curtains to allow her to see into the grand, makeshift cathedral.

There is no sensation odder than watching your own life through someone else's eyes. Yet that's what it felt like. Diana knew she was not the girl standing there, facing Harry waiting to be wed. And yet the figure in the pearls and white lace seemed to be her. How was this possible?

"Look with your witch sight," said a low, gravelly voice from behind her. It was a familiar voice, one she had heard many times, though it seemed oddly disguised. And yet, coming from the cloaked and hooded figure, she couldn't fit it to a face.

Whoever was there, Diana trusted his words and, more importantly, trusted Anduin to protect her from the person, so she turned back and looked once again. Harry was exactly the same, but the girl who had appeared like Diana was totally different.

"Diana Gilld," said the Bishop as the real Diana stared in shock, "Wilt thou have this Man to thy wedded Husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"

"No!" Diana screamed out, but a hand came down over her mouth, muffling her cry.

"I will," said Rose bravely. And Diana watched in horror as her cousin was given away to Prince Harry in her stead. Unable to watch Triton give the bride away, she turned to shout at the man who had kept her from crying out, the gloved hands over her mouth that could only belong to the cloaked man from earlier.

She was facing him and her eyes went wide as she stared into the face of Duke Joshua Gilld.

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – So I lied a little about how long this would take. Admittedly, I wasn't planning on a seven page chapter either, but okay. Be grateful I left out most of the wedding ceremony. Anyway, if all my plans work, I have a little gift for you all. It's called Fan Art. I have pictures drawn of three characters, well, let me explain. I have a portrait of Harry, Diana (Joshua's mother Diana, not the younger one) and a picture from later on, Jonathan Gilld when he's about twenty. However, it will give you an idea of what Joshua looks like at the same age. So tell me if this link doesn't work, because the pictures are up on my homepage and I'm a little HTML illiterate. Ah well, I think it worked. Anyway, since Fanfiction loves being annoying (we love it anyway), I have borrowed TrudiRose's brilliant idea and am writing out the website. Homepage dot mac dot com slash jabenami slash ACOTart dot htm And if that doesn't work, I could always email it to you or you could check my homepage on my profile. Good luck!

And now onto the thank yous!

Short stef – I'm glad you liked the verbal war last chapter. Unfortunately, it doesn't really repeat itself here, this one's mostly Duke Joshua "Superior Intellect" Gilld getting pissed off at everyone else. And of course Anduin's going to chuck Rose. How could it be any other way? Just wait and see. And I'm glad you had favorite phrases. You definitely deserve Anduin time for your efforts with BatB, so you can have him until next chapter, when I'll need him back, k? Have fun!

Soofija – True, but you can't ruin someone's life every chapter. And I'm glad you have such faith in me. I think everything will be okay, but these characters have such minds of their own, all I can really promise you is an ending.

Lesalanna – That was a pretty impressive review for someone who had no time, but thanks. And you're right. If Joshua ever gets his hands on Harry though, he'll wish it had been the rack. And thanks for the grammar note, I'll go and fix it…eventually.

Anarea Rose – Well, I'm here to prevent lunacy in fanfic readers all over the world. And I couldn't help the sneaky man bit, it was just too tempting.

And…drumroll please…new reviewer of the day – Leotabelle13 – Thank you for reading both my stories, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when people like them. Anyway, I didn't mean to steal any character (although, you gotta admit, Rose is definitely a good name for the Beast's daughter). I suppose great minds think alike.

I hope everyone's satisfied with this so far, and Diana's confrontation with her father over a certain, erm, incident will be occurring next, so stay tuned.

Levana (Damian)


	17. For Who Could Ever Learn to Love

_**Chapter 17**_

The wedding ceremony had gone off without a hitch. Joshua and Anduin's plan had worked beautifully and no one suspected that the girl behind the veil was not Diana. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the scene behind the curtains, in the small antechamber where three people stood, watching.

Diana and Joshua were in the middle of a silent, staring match, each one waiting for the other to falter. Anduin looked from father to daughter and marveled at the strength of character evident in both. He hoped neither would ever look at him in such a way, he doubted three feet of metal could stand up to either Diana's evil glare or Joshua's cool disdain.

Joshua watched his daughter closely, waiting for her to explode with wrath. He couldn't blame her exactly. How was she to know the full extent of the situation, no one had given her the information that he possessed. He was proud of her, in a way, for recognizing the wrong done to her cousin. And yet, there was something more to this, some extra part to that anger that Joshua couldn't explain. And that was what kept his stare locked with hers, that challenging fury that threatened to engulf her and that rose in him the same way. Joshua was the kind of person who, if you got mad at him, he would match your anger, regardless of who was in the right.

Diana eyes narrowed even more as she waited for her erstwhile father to lower his gaze. How could he even look at me? she thought to herself. He's lied to me since the day I was born! He let me think that he was my father! And now I find out that I'm the illegitimate brat who he only let live because he didn't have the guts to defend his wife's honor? How does he live with himself? She felt the feelings of rage fill her again, uncontrollable and undirected as it fought to find a culprit for this tradgedy that had torn her from her home.

The anger that she had dammed up inside for the past twenty -our hours had had enough. She could no longer control her rage and it burst forth from her like an ocean's mighty wave.

"How dare you!" she shrieked at her father, which caused him to let go of her shoulder and leap backwards a good three feet. "You sniveling, cowardly wretch!"

"Watch your tongue, Diana," Joshua growled, not at all liking the way this particular conversation was going.

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" Diana answered him bitterly. "You're not my father!" Joshua's face turned white as a sheet. "You've lied to me ever since I was born. How could you have let this happen? What kind of a husband are you? What kind of a mother do I have?"

With those words, she crossed the line. Joshua had taken some pretty nasty personal attacks before and, while it was far more agonizing to have his own daughter say them, he might have been able to stay calm for this one. But Lizzie was, and always would be, his weak spot.

Diana was frozen in mid-tirade, her mouth open in outrage as she was held there by the invisible bonds of magic.

"Don't you ever, ever say anything like that ever again," Joshua said, his voice the quiet calm that meant that he was too furious to show rage. "You weren't there, you have no right to make those statements."

Diana was freed from the bonds, her wrath only increased by her father using magic on her, something he had never done before without her permission. "Oh, but I was there," she retorted. "That was the whole problem."

"Would you have preferred I killed you when you were in the womb?" Joshua asked, his voice low and dangerous. The words were out of his mouth before he realized what he had said and his heart lurched; the thought of hurting Diana too terrible to bear.

"At the moment, yes!" Diana answered, tears beginning to fall down her face. Her father's response startled her as he grabbed hold of her shoulders once again, this time pulling her into his embrace. She struggled for a few moments, but the will to fight soon left her as he hugged her tight. She had sought comfort in those arms ever since she was a little girl and the memories of safety and warmth overwhelmed her. She buried her face in the soft dark material of his shirt and sobbed.

"Why?" Joshua asked, holding her and rocking back and forth. "Why would you ever want that?" She was his daughter, and seeing her like this was too much for him to handle. He just couldn't stay mad,

"Why don't you hate me?" Diana asked, hiccupping through her sobs. She knew that she wasn't mad at Joshua or even at Lizzie. But she had so wanted it to be someone, anyone else's fault. Andrew may have caused her to happen, but she had been around for sixteen years, reminding her parents of how her mother had been violated. She had been trying to make someone else into the culprit, because if Joshua or Lizzie could have done something to make it better and hadn't, then it wasn't her fault that she was here, day in and day out, to cause them misery.

"How could I hate you?" Joshua asked, sincerely shocked. "You're my daughter."

"No I'm not," Diana protested, her voice slightly muffled by the fabric of his clothes. "I'm…you're younger sister, right?"

"No," Joshua answered her softly. He remembered, seventeen long years ago, when he had sat alone outside of his office and wondered how he could ever look at the child in Lizzie's womb as anything other than Andrew's bastard. Standing here now, with his beautiful little girl crying, he knew the answer to that. Diana was his daughter. He had raised her, taught her, kissed her bruises to make them better, bought her birthday presents, swung her up into his arms when he came home from a long trip. He may not have been present at her conception, something he had never really forgiven himself for, but he was most definitely her father. And no one, dead or alive, was going to take her from him. "Diana," he said gently, still just stroking her hair and speaking down towards her head, "You are my daughter. It doesn't matter what happened then, it doesn't matter what anyone else says, I love you like my own child so you are mine." He stood there in silence, letting his words sink in.

Diana clung to him, unsure what to do, what to think. She had truly hated her parents for not telling her, but how could she have expected them to? And, honestly, what else could they have done? What would she have done in her mother's place? She just wished that her Papa could make everything better again, like he could when she was little. But that time was long gone.

"I don't understand," she whispered, as her eyes slowly ran out of tears to cry, "How can you look at me every day and not hate me? Don't I remind you of him?"

"I look in the mirror," Joshua answered with a shrug, unwanted memories of a certain mask were beginning to resurface. "You're no more like him than I am."

"Yes, but it was different for you," Diana protested. "You didn't have to be lied to your whole life."

Joshua sighed. "Diana, let me tell you a story."

She looked up at him in surprise. "I hardly think this is the time for a fairy tale," she said softly, her eyes still red from sobbing.

"You'd be surprised," Joshua answered dryly, knowing that he was treading on thin ice here. "But do you know that you're not the first child Andrew sired on another man's beloved?"

Joshua and Diana both cringed simultaneously at his wording, though there wasn't exactly a tactful way to call someone illegitimate. "No," Diana answered finally. "I didn't."

"Long before you were born, Andrew had an affair with a fairly powerful sorceress. She was happily married to an ordinary, run of the mill man and they seemed content with their two beautiful children. But then the sorceress was called away by her King and sent on a mission with the newly knighted Duke Andrew Gilld. They weren't in love, though they were…intimate, shall we say. And nine months later, a baby boy was born to this sorceress. Needless to say, her husband was furious at her infidelities and he wanted to kill the child. She protested and, since he still loved her, he allowed the boy to grow up in his home, though he never let him into his heart.

"When the boy turned five, Duke Gilld returned and the purpose of the affair became evident when he asked for the boy to take him on as an apprentice. The man was pleased to get this bastard out of his home, so the boy went and learned all he could from his father until he became one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world."

"How long ago was this?" Diana asked.

"He would be about forty now," Joshua answered. "I'm not telling you this to make you feel worse, on the contrary, you are not alone and it is not your fault."

"But I ruined your life and Mama's life and-"

"Ruined?" Joshua said incredulously. "I wouldn't say that. Not even Andrew managed to ruin my life, though he tried extremely hard."

"Did you ever meet his illegitimate son?" Diana asked, interested in this man so like herself.

"You could say that," Joshua answered. "But let me direct your thoughts for a moment. Haven't you ever wondered why you and Rose are cousins?"

Diana's eyes fixed on her father's. "You and Aunt Belle were siblings…" then she trailed off. "But if you were," she continued, thinking aloud to herself, "Then how is she Maurice's daughter and you are the son and heir of Andrew? Unless you're related through the distaff line, which means-" She stopped suddenly as events began to click into place. "That story was about you," she said, staring disbelievingly into his eyes. He nodded.

"Believe me, Diana, I know how you feel."

"Was it different for you," she asked, feeling almost shy, "Since you knew what had…well, happened?"

"Yes, it was different," he answered. "Maurice hated me because of who I was and why I existed. My mother loved me, but it's difficult being the youngest and shunned by the rest of your family."

"I'm so sorry," Diana whispered, hugging her father as a new respect for him began to take root inside of her.

"Why? How were you involved? Anyway, I did leave with Andrew at age five and worked with him for a good twelve years before rebelling and pulling out in the middle of a rather dangerous spell. He used to have a very nice manor down by the Thames. It's still a pile of rubble from the explosion I caused." He shrugged rather sheepishly. "Much to my dismay, as I found out later, Andrew did not die then. He came back and wrought his revenge at a particularly inopportune moment. There is a long story behind this that your mother tells much better than I do, but suffice to say that we won. And then she told me that she was with child and I..wasn't thrilled, shall I say."

"Could you have killed me then?" Diana asked in a small voice.

"First of all, you weren't exactly the girl you are now back then. And no, I couldn't have killed you, not without your mother's permission. Besides, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself afterwards. Maurice had let me live, though he had grudged me that life every step of the way. If nothing else, I had to prove I was better than he was. And then you were born and any ideas of not loving you just as much as my own daughter went right out the window." He smiled and ruffled her hair gently. "Don't worry, Diana. Everything will be all right."

"How can you be sure?" Diana sniffled.

"I know everything," Joshua answered with a grin and chucked her under the chin. "It's my job."

She laughed, then flung her arms around him again, just grateful that he still cared.

"While we're having this heart to heart," he continued, "I should probably explain to you what's going on with your cousin."

Diana looked up with a start. "Yes," she said a little angrily. "You should. How could you allow her to marry a piece of scum like Harry? I know she used to like him, but he's a terrible, avaricious, disgusting human being!"

"I take it you two didn't hit it off," Joshua murmured. "Don't worry about it, I have everything under control."

"How?" she demanded curiously. It wasn't that she didn't believe her father, she trusted him absolutely. It was just that her father's idea of 'perfectly under control' was what her mother termed "A fifty percent chance that it won't blow up in his face".

But Joshua didn't answer. He had caught sight of a rather disturbing occurrence in the corner of the room. Anduin had been standing there the entire time, listening to the conversation with utter fascination. It had explained so much about both his host and hostess, and it made his heart bleed for Diana. But now that the reconciliation seemed to be going well, he had chanced to glance outside and watched as Rose and Harry kissed at the end of their ceremony. Anduin pulled a face and felt a moment's pang that it was Harry up there and not him. Then he considered who he could have in Rose's stead and decided that, if he got his voice back, he would tell Diana just how highly he thought of her.

"When," he corrected himself, then froze. "Dear god," he croaked in a voice that hadn't been used a few months, "I can-". But he was unable to finish his sentence as the most excruciating pain struck him, starting by his feet and shooting all the way up to his hips. He fell to the floor, writhing in agony and gasping for breath. It was that which turned Joshua's attention to him.

"Anduin," Joshua yelled, releasing Diana and running to kneel by his side. Diana followed swiftly, feeling rather guilty. She had forgotten Anduin was even there. "What's happening?"

"Don't know," Anduin panted, his eyes screwed up tight.

"He's changing back," Diana gasped. The tattered remains of Anduin's breeches were lying on the floor next to a long, green fishtail that sparkled in the artificial candlelight. His fins slapped at the floor as the transformation finally drew to a close and Anduin looked up at the two concerned faces peering down at him.

"Don't worry about me," he said, breathing heavily, "It's just a flesh wound." Joshua helped him sit up and Diana just sat next to him, wanting to hug him, but not sure quite sure where the two of them stood, so to speak.

"Why did that happen?" Joshua asked. "How was the spell reversed?"

"Oh, it wasn't reversed," cackled a voice from the water filled window. The sea witch, grinning broadly, stuck her head through into the air bubble. "Welcome back, Anduin," she said gleefully. "I see your quest to win your true love has failed."

"What are you talking about?" Anduin yelped. "My true love isn't married yet."

"Get behind me," Joshua growled to his daughter. Knowing that tone of voice, Diana slipped behind her father and let his long, billowing disguise hide any hint of her existence.

"Oh yes she is," said a different voice. Anduin groaned as his uncle levitated himself into the room, his fins steering him easily as he used aerial magic to enter into the small human quarters. "I watched her myself."

"Then perhaps you were wrong," Anduin snapped. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Temper, temper," Triton rebuked his nephew as the sea witch sniggered. "But, unfortunately for you, Diana Gilld just married Prince Harry of England, so you lost your little wager with this…octopus." Fortunately, Diana's gasp of surprise and elation at being named Anduin's beloved was hidden by her father's angry snort.

"The term is merwitch," she muttered. "And your precocious little heir is my property now."

"I'm sure we can come to some arrangement," Triton said with a shrug.

Joshua took a deep breath. They had been ignoring his presence in the room up until now, assuming his was just some lackey Anduin had brought down from above. It was time to reveal who he was. It had been a while since he had pulled this trick, but he never forgot the auras of power taught to him by his father. He had used it a long time ago to frighten his father's erstwhile underlings and it would be the best way to influence Andrew's old ally. Besides, he still had a few secrets up his sleeve.

"Oh, I'm sure you can," he drawled, donning power like a cloak and, simply by his presence, making everyone in the room turn to him in shcok.

Triton recovered first and bowed low. "Welcome to my castle, Duke Gilld."

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – So, this chapter did not turn out at all the way I had planned. Diana just isn't good at being mad at her father. So, I know that the anger was surprisingly short, especially because of the amount of time she spent agonizing over it, but Joshua is the least controllable of my characters and he evidently decided to handle this situation his way. So tell me what you guys thought. Oh, and if the picture link from last time worked. As I said before, I'm html illiterate, so any suggestions would be welcome. The link is my homepage, so go check it out if you haven't already. Now onto the wonderful reviewer people.

Shortstef – Yeah, someone had to do the dirty work and Joshua can be a great delegator when he wants to. And I know what you mean about Harry and Rose. I promise I wont leave her hanging, though. She'll be all right. After all, she was just as brave as her mother, she deserves a man too. Glad you're having fun with Anduin. Ever tried playing taboo with him?

Leotabelle13 – Wow, that's got to be a little confusing to read Chain first. Will go and check your story when I finish trying to get this up. And I think Andrew's gone for good, I don't like dead characters coming back to life that often. Faked deaths are okay though.

FutureFamousMovieDirector – Yeah, Rose does get a bit of a sucky deal here. Don't worry, Joshua "supposedly" has it all worked out, so we'll just have to see what the sneaky mage has on his mind this time. (sometimes I don't even know if I know what that one is up to)

Anarea Rose – Rose is brave, I'm proud of her, though she knows something you don't, but you'll find out soon enough. And of course Diana and her father start to scream at each other – they're Gillds. And Triton and the King aren't complete morons but, remember, the latter doesn't have magic so parts of the disguise are impenetrable to him and the other wouldn't think to use anything other than aquatic magic unless he had to – aerial magic is so…human. Besides, Rose is very good at what she does and she has a veil on. And I will tell you the identity of the king impersonator, eventually.

This chapter's award for reviewer goes to TrudiRose for reading my stuff and writing lovely reviews. TrudiRose is, for those of you who have never had the pleasure of reading her, one of the best writers on this site and the only person I knew who can make a likeable and canonical Gaston that you will eventually root for. Trudi, I'm glad you like this and I promise when you catch up to whatever chapter I'm writing, I will give you a proper reviewer response. In the mean time, I'm just grateful to all of you for reviewing.

And that's all for now. Hopefully I will have more up soon, but I start classes soon and then something tells me I might not be able to stay up quite so late to finish this. Anyway, stay tuned for the identity of a certain pseudo-monarch.

Levana (Damian)


	18. Joshua Strikes Again

_**Chapter 18**_

"Triton," Joshua murmured in a low, menacing voice. "How nice to see you again."

The King bristled at the lack of the honorific "Your Majesty" at the beginning of the address, though he said nothing. Their plan had just become far more risky now that the Duke had decided to appear. Admittedly, they had one hell of a bargaining chip – Gilld's eldest daughter and all the dirty secrets that were her past. Yet Joshua was a threatening figure in his own right and Triton was not at all sure that if it came down to him versus Joshua the latter wouldn't win.

"Why didn't you announce yourself?" Triton asked, trying to behave in the friendly manner of a shark about to eat a smaller fish. "I wasn't aware that the common courtesies have deteriorated so much since your father's time."

"Well, I had assumed that as you didn't bother respecting my progeny by issuing an invitation before bringing my daughter down here, I had no reason to show you any respect."

Anduin whistled slightly, which earned him a glare from his uncle. "Is this betrayal your fault?" Triton demanded of his nephew.

"How?" Anduin drawled. "I had lost my voice, remember?"

"Don't blame the boy," Joshua said. "You seem to have forgotten how powerful the magic in the Gilld line is."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten," Triton answered. "Why do you think I kidnapped your daughter and married her to 'Prince Harry'?" Triton laughed. "You'll be thrilled when you find out about that particular deception."

"That King Henry the Tenth is another in disguise?" Joshua said mildly. "I know that already." The glint in Triton's eye dimmed slightly. Triton had recalled Joshua as a neophyte, standing in his father's shadow. He would have to remember that it may look like caviar now, but if you leave it alone too long, you're left with one hell of a fish. And that spoke volumes for what Diana would be like when she grew into her powers.

"Do you know who he truly is?" Triton continued. "It was quite a masterful work of magic."

"Indeed it was," Joshua answered mildly. "Call the newlyweds in here please, I would like to speak to them." He walked up to Triton and whispered something in the monarch's ear, Diana keeping pace behind her father. She was grateful that the long, dark cloak swirled so well and hid her so completely from Triton's gaze. The witch, however, saw her perfectly. The woman's jaw dropped and then she began to laugh silently, doubling over until she was no longer visible through the window.

Triton blanched. "How did you know?"

"Call them in," Joshua repeated, smirking slightly. He took a few steps back and nearly tripped over Diana.

Triton turned around and stormed out as best as he could while floating on air, off to fetch Harry and his new wife.

"Well done!" said the witch, finally reappearing, her eyes wet with mirth. "Well done indeed. You even fooled me into thinking that the bride in there was Diana and I have a good eye for this sort of thing."

"Please keep it down," Anduin said with a sigh, glaring at the old woman. "I'd rather not ruin the surprise just yet."

"Of course not," the witch agreed. "Your uncle's had this coming to him for years."

"Whose side are you on?" Diana asked.

"Yours, dearie," said the witch with a smile. "And the name's Ursula."

"Pleasure to meet you," Diana said, grinning.

"No it's not," Anduin muttered.

"Watch your tongue," Ursula told him, clucking her own at his cheekiness, "Or I'll take it away again."

"You can't do that," Anduin protested. "It's the first rule of water magic!"

"What?" Joshua asked softly.

Anduin sighed. "The main difference between air and water magic. Air requires more effort to accomplish the same action since it's the weaker element, but it's also more stable. With water magic, you can only do a spell once. You've ever heard the saying that you can't cross the same river twice; it's the same idea. If you want to do the spell again, you have to change something – the person, one of the effects of the spell, anything. And this particular spell doesn't work in any other form."

"When were you planning on telling me this?" Joshua inquired nastily.

"When I had a voice," Anduin snapped back.

Joshua chose to ignore him. "Diana, please go and find the man in the disguise of the King of England and send him in here. Then wait outside the door until I call for you."

"What are you doing?" she asked worriedly.

"Setting up the dénouement," he answered, laughing. "Now go."

"One minute," Diana replied, then turned to the sea witch. "Ursula, what did you mean when you said that Anduin changed back because I had married another?"

Anduin cringed. "Simple magic," said Ursula. "When his true love married another, I ended the spell and he belonged to me." Diana turned the color of her cousin's namesake and Anduin flushed a brilliant shade of vermillion. "Unfortunately, it seems that his true love is still single, since she's right here in front of me." Diana turned and raced out of the room, unsure what to say or how, as Anduin managed to create a new shade of red for the color of his face.

"Thank you," he hissed through clenched teeth, "Could you have made that more humiliating?"

"Yes," Joshua answered. "I could have gotten involved."

Anduin cursed fluently under his breath.

Fortunately, that conversation had no chance to continue as Triton reentered the room with a very irate looking bridegroom and an extremely relieved bride.

"Gilld," Harry said with dripping sarcasm. "My new brother-in-law." Rose, hidden behind the veil, was about to ask what the import of those words were, but she held her tongue, afraid to make an un-Diana-like comment.

Joshua wanted to reply with something pithy and smart, but decided that actions spoke louder than words this time, so he turned to Anduin. "Will you do the honors?"

"With pleasure," Anduin replied, grateful they were no longer discussing his love life. "As soon as our friend shows up."

And, right on cue, King Henry the Tenth walked into the room. Father and son stared at one another, one in shock and revulsion while the other seemed almost smug.

"Now," said Joshua. Anduin took a deep breath and, with one fluid motion, stood up on his fins and shouted the words that would reverse the incantation put on the two men.

Diana watched in shock, peering through the doorway. King Henry the Tenth was beginning to change shape. His paunch slowly disappeared and his frame began to morph into a wholly different one, yet still totally recognizable. Diana covered her mouth with her hands as the man who she had thought to be king of England assumed a totally different shape, that of Prince Harry.

Anduin grinned with satisfaction as he saw the Prince resume his rightful form. He had felt bad for the poor man, stuck in the body of his father for two months while the older man concocted his plan. When Harry had told them what the King had done and how he had been forced to act as ruler, Joshua had been furious. Rose, on the other hand, had been instantly sympathetic now that she knew that the man who had been flirting so outrageously with Diana was not, in fact, the man who had so chivalrously rescued her.

Diana's eyes slowly moved to the other figure as her heart filled with dread. If the man impersonating the King had, in fact, been the prince, then the Prince could only be one man. Diana gasped softly as she saw her cousin, standing in pure white, next to her bridegroom, King Henry the Tenth of England.

"Impressive," said Henry, taking Rose's hand and clutching it, as if afraid his new wife would disappear if he didn't. "Very impressive, though a little late to do any good. You see, your daughter and I are already married."

"Not quite," Joshua said with a laugh. "You see, there is this law that says that a marriage is defined by the bodies, so if a mage or a magicked person were to wed in the form of a person other than their own, it is to that form that the other is wed. That is to say, regardless of whose mind was occupying the body of Prince Harry at the time, it is to the body of Prince Harry that this woman is married. So it appears you have a new daughter-in-law, congratulations!"

"That is preposterous!" Henry shouted. "Where is this law? Who signed it?"

"You did," Joshua answered mildly. "It has your signature and mine; which is all a magical law needs to pass."

"I never signed such a thing," Henry shouted, letting go of Rose, who immediately began to back away.

"I did," Harry answered, coming to stand behind Joshua. "In your body."

The king was left speechless, unsure how to proceed. Rose, seeing her opportunity, ran to Harry, who embraced her and smiled broadly.

"Well done," said Triton bitterly. "Oh, well done, Joshua."

"I try," he replied modestly.

"Not hard enough," King Henry screamed in reply. He drew the sword girt by his side and ran toward Joshua, who drew his own weapon and matched Harry's first thrust.

"Don't do this," Joshua said as the age old game of attack and defense began.

"Are you afraid to beat me fairly?" King Henry growled. "Afraid that you'll use magic and cheat?"

"And who will tell?" Joshua asked mildly. "Besides, it's not as though you have a chance even if I fight fairly." Both men were excellent fighters, though Joshua had the advantage of a good ten years and they both knew that the Duke would win. Henry simply was refusing to be beaten without a fight.

Triton watched the scene before him unfold, wondering what he could do to help his ally. It seemed quite hopeless, Joshua Gilld had them outsmarted this time around and Henry would never be able to kill the man. Gilld would commit regicide and then, as soon as Anduin was ready, he would have the boy take them all home. And then Triton nearly laughed out loud. It was so very simple, so obvious! How could he not have thought of this before? The only way for any of them to return to the outside world was Anduin for he was the only one who could and would do both aquatic and aerial magic at Joshua's behest. If he got rid of Anduin…

He laughed and turned his attention to his nephew on whom he had had such high hopes. So much for those, he thought as he shouted a death spell at the young man.

Anduin heard the first words of the spell and looked up with dread. There was nothing he could do; the magical power it had taken to reverse the spell on the royal family had taken too much out of him and he just couldn't move far enough away with his fins. He tried to squirm aside, but Triton had set the diameter of the spell pretty large and there was no way he could escape it. In that eternity of five seconds it took to say the spell, Anduin felt an enormous regret for the two months he had spent chasing Rose when Diana was right there, waiting. Why hadn't he seen her? Was he both blind and mute ? He wished he had just one chance to fix that, to tell her how much he really loved her.

Joshua heard the words that were being shouted and looked up in horror. That was a mistake, as Henry, seeing his opponent's preoccupation, nearly slid his blade in between the mage's ribs. Joshua wanted to scream as he flung himself back into the sword fight, knowing that if he tried to stop and save Anduin, he would be dead before the first words of the counter spell left his mouth, which wouldn't help anyone much. And so, eyes prickling with tears, he fought back against his king with a vengeance.

Rose screamed as Triton finished the spell and loosed it against Anduin. True, they weren't still in love, but she didn't want to see him die and it was all too obvious what would happen if no one intervened.

Triton flung his head back and laughed in triumph as his victory seemed complete.

The entire room was suddenly illuminated by a flash of lighting and, a moment later, an enormous crash of thunder seemed to deafen them. And then all went dark.

_**T.B.C.**_

A/N – Erm, um, I don't actually have a decent excuse for what I've just done. Do you hate me yet? Because this is as worse as it gets. Not even I can manage to do anything more terrible.

That said, I hope I've cleared up all the mysterious men for you all and that certain people's actions are now clarified. Yes, Harry is redeemable, I did say that Rose was getting the man. So fear not…about that. But don't leave me now, you have to find out how the story ends. By the way, anyone else agree with me that the Hans Christian Anderson version of this is depressing? (I really hope someone out there is yelling "hypocrite!"). But stay tuned, this story isn't over yet. I predict three more chapters, but we'll see. And if you leave me now, you'll never find out what happens with Diana.

One more thing – when this ends, I will be beginning a new story about the next Gilld child, Jonathan. Each one of Joshua and Lizzie's children will have his or her own fairy tale, so please keep your eyes peeled for it when Diana's story ends.

Now onto the thank yous. I know it's only been one day since I last updated, I had a really easy day today and had time to write a whole chapter. That, and spending three hours watching a Bruce Springsteen Anthology is a great way to kill time. Anyway, so I apologize to anyone who didn't get the chance to review, rest assured you will get thanked in due course. Anyway…

Leotabelle13 – I'm sorry about the Rose/Anduin thing not working out. But if Anduin and Diana have their own ship – I like the sound of that. I feel like we should name it or something. Any suggestions? And yes, many of the names from Rose of a Beast were borrowed from Phantom since I liked them. As long as I'm stealing someone else's characters, might as well use a little variety. Well noticed!

Anarea Rose – I love trickiness in plots, as you may have noticed. So yes, I'm glad you're excited. And it is utterly terrifying to watch Joshua and Diana fight, I'm so glad I only had to read about it. Hope this satisfied your curiosity.

Love you all and, for those of you who I didn't give any time to review, I'm sorry. It's only because my professors haven't cracked down on us yet. Stay tuned!

Levana (Damian)


	19. Saved by the Belle

Anduin was the first to recover his senses after the explosion rocked the room. He looked around and was rather disappointed to find that the afterlife looked inordinately similar to a dark room and was quite upset that his migraine from overusing his magic hadn't even gone away. I'd have thought that the least that could happen was that all the pain would go away, he thought to himself. Or that, if I am unfortunate enough to be in hell, that it would be a little more…I don't know, hellish?

"What happened?" someone called out, though no one was sure who it was. The voice sounded frightened and the fear had so changed its pitch, it was nigh on impossible to discern who the person was or even their gender. There was no reply; everyone was too afraid to reveal their whereabouts in case the enemy might kill them. Joshua was waiting for the smoke to clear, he was not at all anxious to see what Triton had done to Anduin, especially from such a big explosion.

A light flickered in the darkness, the cool green of mage fire that made all eyes turn towards it. "No one move," said a low voice.

"Who are you?" Triton demanded, knowing that the female voice could not be Joshua or his nephew.

"Who do you think, Triton?" Diana answered.

"I thought you had a put a block on her magic at the wedding?" the King yelped in surprise. Joshua began to laugh, partially from relief and partially from pride.

"Well," Diana said with a eerie smile, her face illuminated only by the mage light and giving it a mysterious look, "You see, I wasn't exactly at the wedding." She took a few steps forward and stood before Triton so that they were the only two visible in the entire room. "I let another take my place and it was her small magic that you've blocked."

"Who?" Triton asked through gritted teeth.

"Rose, of course," Diana answered.

Triton stared at her and she stared resolutely back. "You were very brave to defend Anduin like that," he said finally. "And I admire you, it's the sort of thing your father would have done." Diana chose to take that to mean she was as courageous as Joshua. "I don't want to have to kill you, Diana. It would be quite the waste."

"You think she's alone?" Joshua asked quietly. He was invisible, except for the hand that lay on his eldest daughter's shoulder.

Triton laughed. "All the power in the world won't be enough to stop me. All I need to do is take the spells off this part of the castle and you'll all be dead immediately. The water will come rushing in and I doubt Anduin can save all of you."

"What about me?" came Henry's voice from the other side of the room.

"If he had any brains, he'd drown you first," Diana snapped. Triton laughed.

"She has a point, the alliance with you was mostly to get to her."

"Great," Joshua groaned.

"Do most battles go like this?" Anduin groaned from somewhere on the floor "Or are we all dead?"

"We're not dead yet," Diana answered. "But if we keep talking…"

"Look, I don't want to kill you," Triton continued, "But I will if I have to."

"What are our other options?" Diana asked worriedly.

"A deal." Diana motioned for him to continue. "First of all, that you honor the pact made between me and Henry," Triton said. Diana stared at Triton, waiting for something else to happen. "That depends entirely on what is written in it," she said after a few moments. "May I see a copy?"

"May I remind you that your life is at stake?" Triton yelled. "I could just kill you all now and then go up and invade the human world."

Joshua started to laugh. Triton turned his glare on the spot where he thought the Duke's head was. "Why exactly are you laughing?"

"You've never met my wife, have you?" Joshua finally choked out.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Triton fumed.

"She killed Andrew when she was twenty-one," Joshua answered. There was a shocked silence. "So you'll have to face her and every other mage on earth. And while you might be able to flood things for a while, if anyone can work out how to stop you, it will be her."

"How touching," Triton sneered. "Your faith in her is overwhelming."

"How long can you keep him talking?" whispered a voice in Joshua's ear.

"Long enough," Joshua replied, keeping his voice just as low. He focused his attention back on Triton, to whom Diana was vigorously defending her mother.

"You have no idea how powerful she is," Diana retorted angrily, feeling the need to protect her mother all the more strongly because of the slander said against her the day before. "Believe me, you kidnapped the wrong Gilld woman. Although, I doubt my father would have reacted well to that."

"You know, we were debating kidnapping your mother at first," Triton answered. "But it was decided that it would be too difficult to woo her awa– well, I decided and managed to convince Henry that he had no chance against your father."

"True," Diana agreed. "You do know that you just referred to Joshua Gilld as my father," she said, grinning.

"I know," Triton replied. "I have nothing to gain from hurting you. After all, if this treaty goes through, it will benefit me. It's far easier to conquer the world with your help than without it."

"So we're not completely useless?" Diana queried. "At least some of us aren't."

Joshua smiled, proud of the young girl who was his daughter in every way. She was very good at this stalling thing and things were on their side, since Triton was in no rush.

"No," Triton conceded. "But this is getting boring. Do you mind if we get on with making this deal or killing the lot of you?"

"Not at all," Diana answered. "What's the second condition?"

"That you marry my nephew," Triton said promptly.

"Done," Diana said immediately. Joshua pulled a face.

"Since your cousin is, regrettably, already taken," Triton continued, not realizing that she had already agreed, "I would still like some other way to tie England to-" He stopped and cocked his head as if trying to re-listen to their conversation. "Did you say yes already?"

"Yes."

"Do I get a say in this?" Joshua growled softly.

"She's made her choice," Triton said gleefully. "The third condition is-" But he froze right then.

"Hello, Uncle," said Anduin softly, hidden behind the King. Joshua could not see him, but he knew that the boy was up to something.

"What are you doing, Anduin?" Triton demanded. The King felt a strange sensation on his back, like a small amount of slick, corrosive liquid was being pressed right on top of his heart.

"Can't you tell?" the young merman asked. "Don't you know a spell when you feel it?"

"Anduin, don't be an idiot," Triton hissed at the boy. "I saw you break the transformation spell, you don't have the magic to finish that spell you're in the middle of."

"What exactly are you saying?" Anduin asked, his voice still that same low timber that made him sound wonderfully powerful, at least to Diana.

"I think you're bluffing," Triton replied. He would have taught the boy a lesson, but that would have meant taking his attention away from the Duke and his daughter and possibly giving them the opportunity they needed to attack him. And if he had to defend himself, he wouldn't have the time or perhaps even the power to break the air spell. It would just be easier to call Anduin's bluff.

"Perhaps," Anduin agreed. "Perhaps I'm only hiding behind you because I don't want you to see how powerless I am, you catfish-faced idiot." Triton bristled in rage. "Although, maybe I do have the strength after all." And with a sudden rush of power, Anduin loosed the magic he had been building up into his uncle's body.

Triton screamed, one long heartrending sound, before he fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Did you kill him?" Diana asked in fear, her mage light now illuminating Anduin's tired face.

"No," Anduin answered, staring at her from under hooded eyes. "I couldn't." Their gaze met and Diana found herself quite unable to look away from those deep, hazel eyes.

Joshua sighed and, with a wave of his hand, the candelabra burst into flames and illuminated the room; ridding it of the oppressive darkness that had been there ever since Diana countered Triton's first spell.

There was a sudden shriek from behind them, making Joshua whirl around and even Diana and Anduin managed to tear their eyes away from one another to see what was going on.

The King of England lay crumpled on the floor of the room, his richly decorated clothes soaked through with blood. Standing above him and looking like he was about to be sick was Harry, arm in arm with Rose who had her face hidden in his shoulder so as not to see the dreadful sight anymore.

"Dare I ask?" Joshua said finally, unsure quite what to say.

"I killed him," Harry said finally, trembling. "I killed my own father." And he covered his mouth and ran to the window to be sick in the water outside.

"You get used to it," Joshua shouted after him. "Don't worry."

Diana couldn't help herself and laughed; the sight was so gory that she could do naught else.

"How can you be so callous?" Rose demanded.

"I was born that way," Joshua answered. "And I'm glad he's dead and that the man who killed him won't be charged with regicide." Harry heaved again and Anduin rolled his eyes. Rose glared at her uncle and went to go and make sure her new husband was all right.

"Anduin," Joshua said, turning away from the grisly sight of the erstwhile monarch, "Where did you get the power to do that to Triton, and what exactly did you do?"

"I stripped him of his power," Anduin answered quietly. "And he was right, I didn't have the power. So Ursula kindly lent me hers."

"I had forgotten about her," Diana said.

"I know," Anduin agreed. "We all did." There was silence in the room, other than Harry's attempts to regain his breath after that brief episode.

"So what happens now?" Diana asked finally, the question praying on everyone's minds.

"Well, Harry's going to have to explain how his father fell overboard during a pleasure cruise by the sea. We were all witnesses and though we tried hard to save him, wizardry just doesn't work in water."

"That sounds a little suspicious," Anduin said, laughing. "I think we'll need a few more witnesses."

"We could re-enact it with a simulacrum," Diana suggested. "Half aquatic, half aerial and we'll let everyone see him tip over and die."

"I hope you two never plot to take over the world," said Rose fervently, returning with Harry on her arm. "We wouldn't stand a chance."

Joshua laughed. "Very well, we'll be sailing out in the ocean and drown a simulacrum and no one will suspect it's wizardry because everyone knows magic doesn't work in water."

"Won't we be suspected of murder."

"Well, you'll be there and you'll say that he fell and you're King now," Diana said. "So whatever you say is the truth, right?"

"History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon," Joshua quoted, grinning. "So that's one problem solved. Now what do we do about Triton?"

"Leave him," Anduin answered. "He was a good king and we won't have to worry about him trying to kill us if he doesn't have any magic left."

"And you can stay and keep your eye on him," Harry said, finish with a grin.

"Oh no I'm not," Anduin shot back. "There is nothing for me here. I'm going back with you."

"Um, Anduin, you have a tail," Rose said, trying to be tactful and not quite sure how to be.

"Thanks, I hadn't noticed," he snapped.

Joshua looked at them and held his hand up for quiet. "Our first goal is to return to the surface," he said. "What Anduin chooses to do after that is up to him. Speaking for myself, I would like to be out of here before Triton reawakens."

"How?" Anduin asked, looking up at them from his seat on the floor. "You may not have noticed that I'm just about exhausted as far as magic is concerned."

"You are," Diana said, sensing what her father wanted. "The rest of us aren't. And you know what they say – those who cannot do, teach. You can teach me how to do aquatic magic."

"That will take quite a while," he protested. "You might as well wait for me to recover."

Diana sat down next to him and tucked her feet under her dress.

"I suppose I could do it," Joshua said, examining his fingernails. "But I am a little rusty."

Anduin looked up at him, shock written clearly on his face. "Do you mean to say that you can do aquatic magic?"

"Not well," Joshua answered. "But I was around when Andrew learned, so I picked up bits of it. Enough that, if you told me what to do, I could get us back to the surface."

"And when were you were planning on telling us about this?" Diana demanded.

"When it became relevant," Joshua replied in his typically infuriating fashion. "Are you all ready?"

They looked around the room, their eyes taking in the two bodies lying there, one alive but powerless, the other dead by his son's hand. It was not a happy ending by anyone's standard, but they were all glad just to have survived.

"Yes," said Anduin, speaking for them all. "Let's go home."

_**T.B.C**_

A/N – See, I didn't kill him. Honestly, when's the last time I've killed off a character I liked? See what I mean? Anyway, there's at least one more chapter, possibly two, before this story draws to a close. And before the last chapter of this goes up, the first chapter of my next story will be posted. Details to follow. Anyway, onto the wonderful reviewers.

Shortstef – Thank you for the loan, it was quite an incentive to keep fish-boy alive. Not that I needed it, but still, I like Bastian. I'm glad the loose ends have been tied up and that I've surprised you – I try. And perhaps I'll run off with your character if you try and steal mine.

Anarea Rose – Sad how predictable I can be about characters I like. I'm never done with cliffhangers, I just can't help it. And perhaps not a day or two, but if you give me long enough, I will finish this. Assuming I ever figure out calculus, which is iffy. And it makes me happy that you like the story for each idea – it'll give me a writing workout.

Leotabelle13 – What can I say, it had to be like that. But I hope this made it better. And don't werry, I don't yell at reviewers unless they really deserve it.

Trudirose – I actually hadn't thought about that, although I'm not sure if Henry would have let them get away with that sort of answer. He might have just taken Rose as a wife. But I'm glad you liked the twists.

FutureFamousMovieDirector – Me and cliffhangers, it's like peanut butter and jelly. I hope this is a good start for happily ever afters. And of course Diana saves him. Who else would?

So that's all for now. Update again soon, unless calculus strikes (can't do it, don't have a choice, grr)

Love you all anyway,

Levana (Damian)


	20. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

Anduin looked nervously around him. "Are you sure this is going to work?" he asked worriedly.

"Positive," Joshua answered reassuringly. Lizzie elbowed him in the side, glaring at her husband. "Well, mostly," he amended. "What could possibly go wrong?"

"You could kill me, you could leave me with half a body, you could kill me, you could dry out my fins, did I mention that my life is at stake?"

"Worst comes to worst," Lizzie said brightly, "We'll just have a wonderful fish and meat dinner with your remains." Anduin turned faintly green.

"You know, there is a boundary to good taste," Joshua remarked.

"Funny how you only seem to notice it when I cross it," Lizzie shot back. They grinned at one another. "Seriously, Anduin, we do know what we're doing. Since it will undoubtedly hurt, we're going to put you in a special state of mind so that you won't feel the pain and when you wake up, you'll have legs instead of fins. We promise?"

"And no fillet dinner?"

Joshua and Lizzie laughed. "No fillet dinner," they said as one.

Marginally reassured, Anduin lay down and shut his eyes, marveling that he was going through this procedure again. It had seemed almost yesterday that he had first gone to Ursula and requested that a certain spell be placed on him. And now? Now he was receiving legs at the hands of two incredibly competent English mages so that he could attend the wedding of the woman he once thought himself in love with. So much had happened since they got back to England.

Anduin made a face as he felt a slight tingling in his fins, almost as if they were falling asleep. It was very easy to ignore, however, so he let himself drift back into the company of his recollections.

The first thing that had had to be done was to take one of Joshua's ships out on a pleasure cruise and drown the King's facsimile. That had been surprisingly easy to engineer. They hadn't even returned to Gilld castle, they had simply gone to the quay and walked onto the boat. The sailors kept their heads down in the presence of an unusually silent and brooding King, while the pair of lovers made sure to occupy any other attentions by taking long and slightly stumbling strolls around the deck. The sailors all agreed that Harry and Rose made a lovely couple and that the alliance between the two countries would undoubtedly be good, since Britannia never got along with France.And she was, after all, related to Duke Gilld, so that should mitigate some of the bad influences the continent may have had on her.

Anduin, who was swimming along aside the boat, chuckled at all these murmurs of approbation. It was true, they were a handsome couple. But not half so handsome as the one he and Diana would make when they were wed.

After a good half an hour, Anduin judged they were far enough away from the wharf and, as Joshua bade him, slowly used aerial magic to draw the King to the railing. From the boat, Joshua saw the simulacrum move and, since he would be the prime suspect should anything go wrong, decided to be violently sick over the side of the boat. Anduin laughed as he heard Joshua retch—that was no pretense. Joshua was, in fact, extremely seasick and it was a well-known fact that he hated nothing so much as stormy seas. He waited until Joshua stood up again and, grinning, made the water rise up in a violent storm. Skies that had just been clear turned dark and gray and the sea began to boil in fury. Joshua groaned and clutched desperately at the railings as one enormous wave rose up out of nowhere and turned the boat nearly vertical.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," said Joshua, letting go of the rails. He and the King fell forward into the stormy seas.

There were cries of consternation and fear from the boat; this had not been part of their plan originally. But Joshua had told Anduin at the last minute, so the merman was prepared and, even before Joshua had fallen beneath the waves, Anduin was at his side, helping him grab hold of one of the portholes that was nearly level with the waves.

"I told you this was a stupid idea," Anduin growled in the Duke's ear as both men clutched tightly at the window frame, trying desperately to get it open.

"Give me a minute," Joshua said, taking a deep breath in between each word. After another plunge into the water, due to the wild rocking of the ship in the waves, Joshua managed to magick open the window and grab hold of the inner sill. He held on for dear life, his hands wrapped around the very securely attached curtain pole and his feet braced against the wood of the ship. He cursed ship makers throughout the world for not making holes big enough for a human being to crawl through.

Anduin dropped back into the water, waiting beneath Joshua in case he fell and needed rescuing. But there were no problems and, after fifteen long minutes, the storm finally abated.

Joshua let go of the windowsill with a groan and, in the manner of one exhausted, began swimming towards a rather large piece of driftwood that had appeared when one of the barrels on board the ship had come free of its moorings. Anduin watched him, noting that the man was quite a good swimmer.

There was a shout of joy from the ship and, before long, a rope had been lowered and the Duke had been pulled to safety. Anduin smiled and began swimming back to shore, mission accomplished. He just wished he had been there when Diana found out that the whole pseudo-drowning of her father was, in fact, all part of the plan.

The funeral for King Henry the Tenth was every bit as lavish and extravagant as it should have been. Anduin had listened to every detail from Diana, who had been forced to go, though she still hated the man. There were a surprising number of people who took the very philosophical attitude of 'at least we can replace the king', since good mages were obviously hard to come by.

The crowning ceremony for Harry, soon to be King Henry XI, was set for tomorrow. It was going to combine both his investiture as king as well as his marriage to the beautiful princess since it was vital that there be an heir as soon as possible. Lizzie had pointed out that holding the wedding at the same time as the coronation would be an excellent opportunity to invoke an ancient and long forgotten law that the Prince could not marry until one month after his father's death. The wedding would occur tomorrow and, one day later, Joshua and Harry would erase the law. That was the only way to get around the fact that they were asking the Archbishop to marry two people who were already married to one another. It might not be specifically against Church Law, but to ask would be to attempt to explain why they needed the knowledge and no one was anxious to try and do that.

Harry had asked Anduin to stand beside him as best man, which had naturally meant that Anduin needed legs. It might have been easier to simply decline and leave the magic off for a later date, but Diana Gilld was going to be bridesmaid and the chance of standing up there next to her was too good to pass up.

That was why he was sitting here, on this long operating table, with his eyes shut as he waited for Lizzie and Joshua to finish the magic. He was tempted to look up and check to make sure everything was working, but one of the mages had had the foresight to blindfold him, making him utterly reliant on their actions.

The tingling in his legs slowly faded away. He felt someone untie the blindfold and he sat up and carefully swung his new legs off the table. Someone had had the good idea to make sure he was wearing breeches and he hoped desperately that Lizzie had not seen him without them, but that couldn't be helped.

"Well?" Lizzie asked almost impatiently as Anduin rose carefully to his feet.

"Perfect!" he said happily, taking three steps, and then tripping. Joshua caught him, trying not to laugh.

"I suggest you get used to them first," he suggested dryly.

"What, you don't like my idea for a new dance step?" Anduin asked with a smile.

"Anduin," Lizzie said, trying to hide her amusement, "You are a man of many talents, but dancing isn't one of them."

"Oh well. There is more to life than dancing. By the way, are their any caveats that come along with this spell?"

Lizzie was about to say something, but Joshua cut her off. "Yes. If you ever hurt my daughter, you will lose your legs." Anduin looked blankly at him. "As in, I will rip them bodily from your frame." Lizzie groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Your Grace, I think I can safely say that I will never give you any reason to rend any of my appendages from their proper place."

"At least until his wedding night," Lizzie muttered in Joshua's ear. Fortunately, Anduin didn't actually hear what she said, but the speed at which Joshua blanched told him that it might be a good idea to get out of there before the Duke and Duchess started one of their renowned rows.

"I'm going to exercise my legs," he said as he beat swift retreat from the room. It seemed that in the face of danger, his legs were perfectly capable of functioning.

Anduin made his way slowly down the hall, using the wall for support. He reached the stairs and realized that he was going to need some help. Fortunately, just at that time, Diana appeared and, smiling delightedly, asked how he was doing. They made small talk as she helped him down the stairs and they soon found themselves in one of the many sitting rooms. Diana was on the couch and Anduin had opted for an ottoman at her feet. He had been meaning to do something for a while and now seemed like the perfect time for it.

"Diana?" he said, interrupting her description of Rose's dress.

"Hmm?"

"I, um, have this strange talent for making up songs." She looked at him curiously, wondering where this was going. "And, when I first met you, you made me write this song in my head…and I would like to sing it to you, if you don't mind?" It was mostly true. After all, the girl that had inspired the music was Diana inhabiting Rose. It wasn't his fault he had sung it to the wrong girl at first.

"I'd love to hear it," Diana replied, thinking that even if the song turned out to be terrible, it was still an adorable gesture. Luckily for her, Anduin was every bit as good as he intimated, maybe even more so.

He took a deep breath. "_No beauty could move me, no goodness improve me._

_No power on earth if I can't love her._

_No passion could reach me, no lesson could teach me,_

_How I could have loved her, and make her love me too._

_If I can't love her, than who?"_

On and on it went, Anduin's voice growing in power as he became surer of himself. By the end of the song, his voice had reached its full potential and the strong bass seemed to thunder throughout the room.

"_But it's not to be._

_If I can't love her,_

_Let the world be done with me!"_

Diana stared at him, openmouthed. Had she been the kind of girl who cried, she would have been sobbing. As it was, it seemed as if her heart was overflowing and there was nothing she could do about it. Anduin looked up at her with hopeful eyes.

"Did you like it?" he asked, sounding almost shy.

"Like it?" she sputtered. "Anduin, that was amazing!"

"I'm good when I have a wonderful muse," he said with a smile and affectionately took her hand. They sat like that for a long time, content just to be in one another's presence and know that all was right with the world. They had time to get to know one another, to talk and flirt and to learn how to dance together. And then, who knew? Perhaps, one day soon, they would be the ones waiting nervously in front of the Archbishop as he proclaimed them husband and wife. But there was time. They had no clock to race, no spell to break. The future was all theirs.

0o0o0

"Why did you say that?" Joshua groaned, turning to Lizzie, who couldn't help but laugh.

"You know its true," she responded.

"I know, but that doesn't mean that you had to remind me." They grinned at one another.

"I think they got off lightly," Lizzie said after a while. Joshua looked at her with one eyebrow arched. "Compared to us, I mean."

He laughed. "Think whatever you will. By the way, do you still have the fairy tale book by Hans Christian Anderson I had got you?"

"Of course! Do you think I would dare lose a book like that?"

"What do you think about giving Diana a certain story to read?"

Lizzie chuckled. "Why don't we commission an illuminated copy, it will make a good wedding present."

"For when we all live happily ever after?" Joshua teased.

"At least until our next child falls in love." Joshua and Lizzie turned to one another and he embraced her.

"Seventeen years ago, could you have even imagined this?" he asked, his chin resting atop her head.

"No, I still thought you were an obnoxious prat then."

"You still think I'm an obnoxious prat _now_," he pointed out.

"True. But it's an affectionate term…somehow." Joshua kissed her on the nose.

"Impudent wench!" he teased.

She was about to reply, when a small bell in the corner of the room rang.

"I think my brother-in-law and sister have finally arrived," Joshua said, drawing ruefully away from Lizzie.

"Then let's go down and greet them," Lizzie suggested archly.

They descended the stairs and allowed themselves to be swept up in the excitement of the wedding. And much later that night, two woman who were reputed to be great beauties and two men who had, long ago, worn the guise of a beast, discussed the story of The Little Merman.

_**Finis**_

A/N – Dum dum dum – I did it! It's amazing, the last story took me about three years, this one took me six months. See what happens when I actually apply myself to something (looks guiltily at two half-finished novels sitting in hard drive). Anyway, thank you to all of you who came along for the ride, one of the best parts of being an author is knowing that someone out there (other than yourself) appreciates what you do and enjoys it. So even if you didn't review, thanks for having read this far. And let me just mention that this would be the perfect time to start reviewing. (grins hopefully).

I will do Thank yous in a minute, but first I would like to talk about the next step from here. By the time this chapter goes up, the first chapter of a new story will be posted. It won't be in the BATB section, since I doubt that Belle, Vincent, Rose or either of her brothers will be in it. Maybe, if I ever get around to it, they'll get a ficlet, but I seem to have created a monster with the Gilld family, so there will be a Chain of Tales that begins with the Little Merman and Diana and that ends with Anthony (I don't know which fairy tale he gets yet). The next story is Jonathan's and will be called _Dogskin_. Look for it in the fairy tale section, I promise that by the time this is posted, that will be up as well.

And now for the thank yous!

FutureFamousMovieDirector – Glad you approved. And you know me too well, I just can't kill off certain characters, it's against my moral code. I can't believe it's over either. I just hope that Jonathan is a good replacement, since he gets the next story. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, it meant a lot to me and it always made me happy to see you had liked it so much.

Trudirose – Yeah, I can't help happy endings. I'm pleased you liked the way things worked out and thank God I'm not the only one who hates the original little mermaid. Belle and Vincent get a slight cameo here, but it was kind of hard to give them a huge part without writing the wedding, which would just be boring. Thank you so much for reading this, especially since you hadn't finished Rose of a Beast. Your reviews really made my day. And, by the way, Diana and Maurice had two legitimate children. Belle had a younger brother who died when he was young in the same disease that took Diana, his name was Jonathan and the eldest Gilld boy is named after him.

Soofija – I'll forgive you, computer problems can be terrible (especially when someone spills seed beads on your laptop, then pries up half the keys to find them – not that that happened to me). Glad you're still reading and loving, and of course Anduin got his legs back. They're just too good a couple to be star-crossed lovers. And I'm glad you liked the scene between father and daughter, it was the one that worried me the most, as far as "how the hell am I going to write this" was concerned. And thanks for being such an awesome reviewer. I think you might be my oldest reviewer ever and it makes me so happy to know that you're still here and loving it. So thanks so much!

Thank yous also go to leotabelle13, Anarea Rose, Shortstef, Lesalanna and anyone else who reviewed this at some point in time. Remember, it's not too late. Review here and you'll get a thank you in Dogskin.

I'll see you in the sequel!

Levana (Damian)


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